Tenant sees a ghost. What should my response be?

Investor · Lewisville, TX · Member since 2017 · 21 posts · 48 votes

So...one of my tenants is claiming that she and her daughter are seeing a spirit in the house. Did not know how to respond to this. If it was a maintenance item I would send my guy to take a look right away, but what the heck I am I supposed to tell someone who's seeing things? BTW I don't believe in ghosts (although those who do believe in ghosts are free to do so and disagree accordingly), but I don't want to be politically ghost believer insensitive and tell her she's crazy. Any advice would be helpful, Ghostbusters, new or old, need not apply.

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Brian Garlington

Realtor · Oakland, CA and a Real Estate Investor with Multi-Family Units and a Self Storage Facility · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes

You can play it one of two ways......

If she is a good tenant, tell her you need to add the ghost as a new tenant on the lease and you will need to now raise her rent.

If she’s been a bad tenant then start the eviction process because she has told you after the fact that she has had someone move in and this wasn’t part of the original lease agreement

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Cesar Roman
Bronx, NY · Member since 2017 · 2 posts · 1 vote
8y
Romanllc have the house prayed over by a pastor. You may not believe in it but if it helps them and sets them at ease your a happy camper and so are they.
1 Reply
John Park
OP
Investor · Lewisville, TX · Member since 2017 · 21 posts · 48 votes
8y
After further inquiry she has indicated that she is getting married and will not renew the lease at the end of term, which is in 3 months. I said that a 30 day notice will suffice, ghosts not withstanding. I do not plan on taking any action unless she explicitly asks, which she has not as of yet. She just kind of mentioned it out of the blue without any call to action, which triggered my initial post. BTW the house is an early 80s build 3/2/2 in a pretty dense neighborhood, not a lonely rickety 120 year old house in the deep woods, just in case anyone was wondering. Insofar as if that is a motive? I don't know. Just as long as the rent is paid for the final 3 months, I'm copasetic.
7 Reply
Sal Castaneda
Flipper/Rehabber · San Diego, CA · Member since 2018 · 36 posts · 22 votes
8y
@John Park remind them that the use of illegal drugs is not permitted as referenced in your lease! 🤣
1 Reply
Anthony Wick
Rental Property Investor · Ankeny, IA · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
8y
@John Park Tell her you’ll need to run a background check on the new ghost tenant. Charge her $40. Then after the ghost passes the background check, charge her an extra $200 a month for additional tenant.
3 Reply
Caleb Dryden
Rental Property Investor · Bridgman, MI · Member since 2018 · 44 posts · 18 votes
8y
@John Park this is too good. I wouldn't know to cry or laugh in your situation. Keep us posted on how things unfold. Is your property manager certified for ghost removal? Ha
1 Reply
Reed Kelly
Architect · Seattle, WA · Member since 2015 · 34 posts · 22 votes
8y
Gotta get that ghost on a lease!
When Bigger Pockets rolled out their landlord forms earlier this year, did they include a 'ghost lease'? Like a pet addendum, but spookier.
4 Reply
Amit Sharan
Rental Property Investor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2017 · 12 posts · 19 votes
8y
@John Park
I agree with most of the other comments that it is likely that the tenant may have a motive to find an excuse to get out of the lease. But since you reported that both she and her daughter claim seeing ghosts, it may be a case of hallucination. That can be caused by presence of black mold.
https://www.moldsafesolutions.com/mold-rage/
Do nothing immediately but if they report similar incidents again and again, or the next tenant also reports something similar, it may be a time to explore this angle (instead of calling the ghost busters ) !!
0 Reply
Brendon Woirhaye
Rental Property Investor · Whittier, CA · Member since 2014 · 324 posts · 268 votes
8y
That's a new one for me. Please do let us know how the story unfolds.
0 Reply
Tom Chen
Real Estate Investor · Flushing, NY · Member since 2016 · 210 posts · 77 votes
8y
@Brian Garlington Best comment so far...lol
0 Reply
Jacob Villalobos
Whittier , CA · Member since 2013 · 176 posts · 96 votes
8y
Charge more rent because of the extra person living with them.
0 Reply
Cameron H.
Rental Property Investor · Winston-Salem, NC · Member since 2017 · 24 posts · 6 votes
8y
@John Park make the ghost pay rent
0 Reply
Andrew PettitPro Member
Rental Property Investor · RI · Member since 2017 · 100 posts · 19 votes
8y
The rent is going up because that ghost counts as another tenant, ha-ha.
0 Reply
Frank Wolter
Rental Property Investor · Cleveland, OH · Member since 2018 · 191 posts · 432 votes
8y
get her out asap before she starts a Neighbor roemer that your Rental is haunted. then no one will want to rent it.
1 Reply
Justin Owens
Real Estate Agent · Gilbert, AZ · Member since 2016 · 220 posts · 122 votes
8y
@John Park Make sure she adds him/her to the lease. And see if you can up the rent for additional wear and tear. ;-)
0 Reply
Demetrius Hargrove
Teaneck, NJ · Member since 2017 · 20 posts · 9 votes
8y
@John Park tell her to wipe her walls with holy water..... DO NOT THROW THE WATER AT THE WALLS, but wipe.. Then bless the house.
1 Reply
Alan Feldman
Eastern Shore MD · Member since 2018 · 139 posts · 79 votes
8y
@John Park in my area people pay to go through haunted houses. Maybe this could turn into the ultimate STR.
2 Reply
Jason Smith
Weatherford, TX · Member since 2017 · 63 posts · 43 votes
8y
@John Park explain that the ghost is the last tenant that didn’t want to pay rent on time and you’re still trying to evict them. Seriously though, I would do nothing at this point. If she calls again you can just aske her what she would like you to do and go from there.
2 Reply
Aaron Hunt
All Over, USA · Member since 2017 · 689 posts · 756 votes
8y
As long as your tenant doesn’t become a ghost like mine do when I ask them for rent...
2 Reply
Sai Krishna Byra
Flipper/Rehabber · Dallas, TX · Member since 2018 · 25 posts · 5 votes
8y
@John Park Disclosure - I am not a ghost believer too. I would advice keep a security camera in house to record the entire activities in home and prove tenants that it is their illusion. I am not 100% sure it will work out. But it is proven method in movies. There is nothing wrong in trying.All the best
0 Reply
Lynne MacFarlane
Realtor · Los Altos, CA · Member since 2018 · 52 posts · 20 votes
8y
Hi @John Park It could pOSsIBLY be a gas leak. I heard this story last year and thought it entertaining but a bit concerning: https://www.npr.org/2017/06/23/533791342/carrie-poppy-can-science-reveal-the-truth-behind-ghost-stories
1 Reply
Sam Shueh
Real Estate Agent · Cupertino, CA · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
8y
Try to investigate and perhaps popping sound from loose floors at night(screw subfloor not use nails). If she has a sense of humor or religious ask her to get this kit.

1 Reply
Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
8y
IN Charleston SC were we build each and every porch the roof of the porch is painted Robin egg blue.. this to keep the ghosts at bey.. and I believe that works..
Podcast Guest on Show #222
JLH Capital Partners51 Review
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Edward Cervantes
Rental Property Investor · AZ · Member since 2018 · 36 posts · 37 votes
8y
When I was obtaining my license, we studied a similar widely-publicized New York court case. According to a story in The New York Times, the buyer wanted his deposit back and refused to close on the sale after he found out about the house’s haunted reputation. The court eventually ruled in his favor.
In this case, the seller deliberately publicized that her house was actually haunted. So whether or not the house was haunted was irrelevant. Having informed the public at large that the house was haunted, the court viewed the haunting was seen as a material fact. Such was the case and she owned no less a duty to the buyer/tenant. The seller thus lost the case.
You do not have to legally disclose a potential haunting to tenants unless (1) you believe and disclose the haunting to others or (2) the house has a haunted reputation such as the site of Amityville. That the seller believed the house was haunted and had told others about her belief made her responsible to let all potential buyers/tenants know.
3 Reply
Matt Greer
Real Estate Agent · Mesa, AZ · Member since 2017 · 230 posts · 169 votes
8y
Make sure you have good insurance in case she burns down the house.
1 Reply
Account Closed
Investor · Havre De Grace, MD · Member since 2017 · 71 posts · 54 votes
8y
If you don't smell the gas it might be CO. Do you have CO alarms in your places?
There is a somewhat substantiated theory that many haunted houses (when the folks are mentally stable) are related to carbon monoxide posioning. CO is a product of incomplete combustion, so if there is gas to the house or a fireplace, you might want to have someone called out to take a look. Water heaters are an often overlooked source. Maybe the local fire house will come out and check with their meter.
If she is complaining also of headaches, has red rosy skin (mostly in face), or increase in fatigue you might want to mitigate a potential law suit.
Otherwise, give her a tin foil hat and whisper good luck to the kid.
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