Wehome Policy

Regulatory Sandbox for Home-Sharing Operation Policy

This policy outlines the matters concerning the operation of the Wehome Regulatory Sandbox for Home-Sharing (hereinafter "Home-Sharing Sandbox") in accordance with Wehome's Terms of Service (hereinafter "Terms") and the government's ICT Regulatory Sandbox for Home-Sharing. It includes provisions regarding the maintenance and cancellation of the special status applicable to Home-Sharing Sandbox hosts.

Notice Regarding Wehome's Promotion to Temporary Permit Status

Wehome is set to be upgraded from a Regulatory Sandbox company to a Temporary Permit company. We have passed the temporary permit review by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (the competent regulatory authority) and received an official document from the Ministry of Science and ICT confirming that the permit will be issued promptly (March 13, 2025). Only administrative procedures remain. This signifies that Wehome has been recognized by the government through the verification of the regulatory sandbox as a more stable and officially permitted home-sharing platform. Wehome hosts will transition from the Home-Sharing Sandbox to the Home-Sharing Permit. Unlike the sandbox, there is no 2-year business limit, and benefits such as regulatory easing in line with institutionalization are possible. We will notify our hosts as soon as the temporary permit certificate is issued. The temporary permit carries the following significance:

• Wehome and its sandbox hosts secure a higher level of legal status.
• Host stability and reliability are further strengthened.
• Legal protection and operational continuity are secured as a temporary permit company.
• Expectations for priority application of regulatory easing benefits following institutionalization.

Basic Sandbox Policy

Wehome's Home-Sharing Regulatory Sandbox operates in accordance with government policy. The Home-Sharing Sandbox is available within a limited scope. Since the number of sandbox hosts is capped at 4,000, if the sandbox status is not needed or difficult to maintain, the status is cancelled and reassigned to new hosts.

After registering a property on Wehome and receiving sandbox status, legal operation is only possible through Wehome or platforms linked with Wehome. Hosts who have received sandbox status as a Foreigner-Friendly Urban Bed & Breakfast (Foreigner-Friendly B&B) host can legally host domestic guests only on Wehome and Wehome-linked platforms. New hosts not registered as a Foreigner-Friendly B&B can accept accommodation bookings on global platforms under the jurisdiction of Wehome and Wehome-linked platforms. New hosts (non-Foreigner-Friendly B&B) can receive legal bookings exclusively for foreigners on Airbnb through Open Hosting. Foreigner-Friendly B&B hosts outside of the sandbox regions of Seoul and Busan can also legally accept foreign guest bookings on Wehome.

In accordance with the government's regulatory sandbox policy, hosts must comply with the basic registration requirements and operational requirements to maintain their status. You must register your property on the Wehome platform, make it public, and conduct normal business operations. The following is an explanation of the basic requirements, operational requirements, and the cancellation and suspension of the sandbox status after designation. In particular, for Foreigner-Friendly B&B properties registered on other platforms, "Domestic Legal Accommodation Notice" and calendar synchronization have become mandatory requirements for maintaining sandbox status. Both must be maintained at all times. Wehome periodically checks whether sandbox conditions are met and proceeds with suspension or cancellation if necessary.

Decisions on cancellation and suspension are reported to the government and reflected in civil complaint processing and crackdowns on illegal accommodation. Please be careful to ensure that your sandbox status is not cancelled or suspended to avoid any disadvantages. In the case of a suspension, the property will be set to private, and if the suspension persists, the sandbox status will be cancelled without prior notice.

Sandbox hosts whose status has been cancelled (not at the host's request), as well as hosts managing such properties, are ineligible for re-registration of the sandbox status for those properties. To avoid damages resulting from cancellation, you must submit a Request for Sandbox Cancellation in the event of business suspension or closure.

Basic Requirements for Maintaining Sandbox Status

• Conditions at the time of designation (move-in registration, safety requirements, etc.) and commitments must be true and maintained continuously.

• Maintain up-to-date property information, manage the calendar, and keep the property public on Wehome (automatic suspension if all properties are set to private without a valid reason).

• Maintain registered host information (automatic cancellation if unreachable or account is deleted).

• Conduct normal business operations (booking expiration or rejection is grounds for suspension or cancellation).

• For Foreigner-Friendly B&B hosts, it is mandatory to implement "Regulatory Sandbox Notice and Calendar Synchronization" and external calendar synchronization on other platforms (e.g., Airbnb, Agoda, Booking.com).

• If there is a change in host type (e.g., New Sandbox => Foreigner-Friendly B&B Sandbox or vice versa), confirmation via Sandbox Change Request is required.

Grounds for Sandbox Adjustment

• Failure to meet the basic requirements mentioned above.

• Receiving fines or sanctions related to registered accommodation.

• Repeated complaints from local residents.

• Discovery of information that differs from the facts provided at the time of designation: property information, host information, resident consent, etc.

• Business activities outside of the designated sandbox facilities: government crackdown reports, platform verification, blog content, etc.

• Concerns regarding property safety or defects in property quality and service provision.

• Rejection of bookings without special reason, failure to respond to guest inquiries or bookings, or allowing bookings to expire.

• Continuous calendar blocking, relatively excessive accommodation fees, or setting minimum stay requirements (e.g., 3-night minimum on Airbnb, 15-night minimum on Wehome).

• Failure to cooperate with Wehome to satisfy additional conditions, or confirming accommodation bookings outside the scope verified after a request for cooperation. Failure to implement "Regulatory Sandbox Notice and Calendar Synchronization" on other platforms.

• Deviating from the Open Hosting operational regulations for each sandbox type.

• Cases that cause significant damage to the trust of the Wehome community or service operations.

• Misuse of the Wehome Regulatory Sandbox.

• No business activity for more than 6 months without a special reason.

• Cancellation or suspension may be determined depending on the reason. Even in a suspended state, protection under the sandbox may not be provided.

4. Sandbox Status Reported to Government and No Legal Protection

• Sandbox cancellation and suspension may proceed without prior notice depending on the severity of the violation.
• Sandbox status may be determined by checking compliance with the sandbox policy at any given time without prior notice.
• Situations involving sandbox cancellation or suspension are officially reported to and managed by the government.

5. No Re-designation

• In principle, if the sandbox status is cancelled, the host, the host managing the property, and the property itself are ineligible for re-designation.
• This does not apply to cancellations resulting from a Request for Sandbox Cancellation due to the host's business suspension or closure.

6. Objection

• If you file an objection regarding the non-exposure of a listing, or the cancellation or suspension of a special case, we will review it and proceed with adjustments [File an objection]