You may not believe in ghosts, ghouls, spirits, or lingering souls, but you’ve likely seen plenty of horror movies that start with an unsuspecting family moving into a haunted house. Offscreen, too, some actual houses are rumored to be haunted. While some people certainly are interested in haunted houses for sale, plenty might reconsider the purchase if this information was handy. According to the analysis, home sellers in most states don’t have to tell potential home buyers if they think their house is haunted, so it would be easy enough for someone to buy a house without knowing it possessed a ghost (allegedly). In fact, only four states have mentions of paranormal activity in their real estate disclosure laws. And only two of those were written to protect the buyers.
4 States With Paranormal Disclosure Laws
In New Jersey, sellers must disclose known info about potential hauntings or paranormal activity only if asked; in New York, courts will rescind a sale if the seller takes unfair advantage of a buyer’s ignorance of a home’s reputation for paranormal activity or if the seller creates and perpetuates said reputation. In Massachusetts, the law specifically says sellers do not have to disclose “an alleged parapsychological or supernatural phenomenon,” and in Minnesota, they do not have to disclose perceived paranormal activity. In all other 46 states, there’s no rule stating sellers must tell a potential buyer about the presence of a ghost or strange goings-on. To an extent, that’s not surprising—to legislate the disclosure of paranormal activity is to openly acknowledge its existence.
What If Someone Died Inside?
As any good horror movie buff knows, most dastardly spirits are created when someone is murdered or otherwise dies in a space. Knowing if the property is the sight of a murder or suicide has little to do with paranormal activity, but a few states (Alaska, California, and South Dakota) specifically require sellers to share if a death recently occurred on their property. (A few more say the sellers must respond truthfully if asked.) On the other hand, some states (Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania) have legislation that sellers do not have to disclose death on the property. Some people—the type collecting haunted house ideas or looking into haunted house rentals—would love the opportunity to purchase a purportedly haunted house. For others, though, knowing a house is rumored to be haunted or that a property was recently the site of a death could be enough to make them rescind their offer and look elsewhere. Some home sellers may take it upon themselves to say if a property is haunted, but if you’re really concerned about possible paranormal activity, ask the seller and do your research before you buy.
