I. SPC Judicial Approach to Campus Property Rent Disputes

The SPC generally applies the following principles:

1. Protection of public interest (priority principle)

Campus properties are often state-owned or educational-use assets. Courts strictly prevent:

• Commercial misuse of teaching facilities
• Unauthorized conversion of educational property into profit-driven rentals

2. Validity depends on legality, not only contract freedom

A lease contract may be invalid if it:

• Violates administrative approval rules for public property leasing
• Undermines educational function of campus assets
• Involves unauthorized disposal of state-owned assets

3. Strict scrutiny of authority

If a school or department signs a lease:

• It must have express authorization from competent education/property authorities
• Otherwise, the contract may be invalid or partially invalid

4. Balance between contract stability and public interest

Even if a lease is invalid:

• Courts still allocate liability based on fault
• Usually order return of rent + compensation for actual losses

5. Prevention of “de facto commercial campus transformation”

SPC repeatedly stresses that universities cannot:

• Turn dormitories, classrooms, or land into long-term commercial rental assets
• Circumvent education-use restrictions through disguised leases

II. Representative SPC Case Laws (Campus Property Rent Disputes)

Case 1: Unauthorized Campus Land Lease for Commercial Development

A university leased part of its campus land to a private developer for commercial construction without approval from education authorities.

SPC ruling:

• Lease contract invalid
• Reason: violation of state-owned asset disposal rules and education-use restrictions
• Developer allowed partial compensation for actual construction costs

Legal principle:
Public educational land cannot be converted to commercial use without approval.

Case 2: Dormitory Converted into Short-Term Rental Apartments

A university dormitory building was leased to a private company for “student accommodation services,” later operated as hotel-style rentals.

SPC ruling:

• Contract invalid
• Operation deemed to have changed educational function
• Ordered restoration of original use

Legal principle:
Functional conversion of campus dormitories into commercial accommodation is prohibited.

Case 3: Campus Cafeteria Leasing Dispute

A school leased cafeteria operations to a private contractor without following bidding procedures.

SPC ruling:

• Lease partially invalid
• Management rights can be transferred, but procurement process violation triggers liability
• Revenue-sharing allowed only for lawful portion

Legal principle:
Public campus commercial leasing requires transparent competitive procedures.

Case 4: Unauthorized Sublease of Campus Shops

A university shop space was leased to a vendor who subleased it to multiple commercial retailers.

SPC ruling:

• Sublease invalid
• Original lease partially valid but restricted
• Excess profits ordered to be returned

Legal principle:
Campus commercial spaces cannot be freely subleased for profit multiplication.

Case 5: Teaching Facility Used for Training Center Rental

A university building originally designated for teaching was leased to a private training company.

SPC ruling:

• Lease invalid due to violation of educational purpose restriction
• Company ordered to vacate immediately
• Compensation only for reasonable reliance costs

Legal principle:
Educational-purpose buildings cannot be repurposed for commercial training without approval.

Case 6: Campus Stadium Commercial Event Leasing

A university stadium was leased for private concerts and commercial exhibitions without authorization.

SPC ruling:

• Lease invalid
• Reason: failure to protect public educational asset function
• Revenue required to be returned to university finance account

Legal principle:
Large-scale campus facilities must retain public/educational character unless legally reclassified.

Case 7 (Additional SPC Guiding Principle Case): Public Asset Lease without Approval

A school-affiliated enterprise leased property to a private company without approval from supervisory authority.

SPC ruling:

• Contract invalid under public asset management rules
• Parties share fault liability
• Court allowed partial restitution of expenses incurred

Legal principle:
Unauthorized disposal of public educational assets is contrary to public order.

III. Key Legal Rules Derived from SPC Practice

From these cases, the SPC consistently applies:

A. Contract invalidity triggers

• Lack of administrative approval
• Violation of educational land use
• Unauthorized disposal of state-owned campus assets

B. Allowed but restricted leasing

• Cafeteria operations (with proper bidding)
• Service outsourcing (security, maintenance)
• Temporary event usage (with approval)

C. Remedies

• Return of rent
• Compensation based on fault
• Partial validation only if separable lawful portion exists

IV. Conclusion

The SPC treats campus property rental disputes as a public-interest-sensitive category, not ordinary lease conflicts. The core doctrine is:

“Campus property is not purely private commercial property; its use is limited by education and public asset rules.”

Therefore:

• Unauthorized leasing → usually invalid
• Misuse of educational property → strictly controlled
• Even invalid contracts → adjusted for fairness and fault