Tighter household-loan management is weighing on both apartment developers’ expectations and buyers’ ability to move into newly built homes in South Korea. The Korea Housing Institute’s September nationwide apartment move-in outlook index fell 6.8 points from August to 87.6, extending its decline for a second consecutive month and remaining below the 100 level that separates positive from negative expectations. The actual nationwide apartment move-in rate fell 8.6 percentage points to 59.5% in August, its lowest level in four months and the third consecutive monthly decline since May’s 71.2% peak. Seoul’s rate dropped 8.5 points to 82.0%, while Gwangju–Jeolla suffered the largest regional decline, falling 20.2 points to 49.0%. The September outlook fell to 81.0 in the Seoul metropolitan area, including declines in Seoul and Incheon, although Gyeonggi improved. Inability to secure balance loans accounted for 37.2% of failed move-ins, followed by delays selling existing homes at 31.4% and failure to secure tenants at 15.7%. The institute said stricter household-loan controls are affecting both market sentiment and actual move-in conditions. September apartment move-in volume is projected at about 14,000 units, the lowest in five years and five months, while home-price increases and debt-service restrictions are expected to keep financing conditions difficult for the time being.