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.
Realtor · Oakland, CA and a Real Estate Investor with Multi-Family Units and a Self Storage Facility · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
8y
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
Jacksonville, NC · Member since 2018 · 67 posts · 58 votes
8y
@John Park
All joking matters aside, there is case law behind this being a material fact to disclose in a real estate transaction. So do you research and tread lightly. Seems like a catch 22 situation. If you let the tenant out of the lease you may be required to disclose the house is haunted to future tenants and or buyers. But ifnyou try to keep them in, and some weird **** happens, you will probablt get sued fornall you arr worth. Call a lawyer and do your research.
https://legaldictionary.net/stambovsky-v-ackley/
https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/8435418
Investor · Nashville, TN · Member since 2015 · 7 posts · 5 votes
8y
Lots of silly replies to this, going to try to offer some real advice here.
First off, I didn’t believe in ghosts either until I experienced one. I believe that your tenants are seeing what they chose to see and that something real may be going on, But you didn’t ask for our opinion on that.
From a business perspective you can simply give them their options, the way I see it they have 3:
1. Do nothing and continue living the way they are, 99% of ghosts are non-malicient and will do them no harm
2. Continue living there and take steps to get rid of the ghosts as long as those steps do not involve damaging or altering the property in any way
3. Move out and pay the penalty of cutting their lease off early, maybe offer them their deposit back if they leave the place spotless and also help you find the next tenant?
In the meantime if you are in a ghost-centric town you could potienlly monetize your haunted house! Hope this helps!
Attorney · Northbrook, IL · Member since 2017 · 719 posts · 549 votes
8y
@Ryan McKelvey@John Park I remember this case from law school, its a fun read because the judge repeatedly mocks and makes puns related to the house being haunted in the decision. However, its misleading to say the buyer won because the house was haunted. The buyer won because everyone in the town knew the reputation that the house was haunted except for the buyer, who was new in town. By not disclosing it, the buyer unknowingly bought a house the neighborhood believed to be haunted and stigmatized and would lose value when they try to sell it themselves. The court almost treated it like a latent defect and said the buyer had a right to know there was a situation with the house that would make selling it at a later date extremely difficult.
I don't think the buyer believed there were ghosts, it was over the buyers ability to get their money back out when they sell the house at a later date.
Clearly there is not much you can do for now..., but I have some questions for you:
Is she a good tenant? Was there others tenants before her?
Did she have trouble making payment on time? Is she currently employ?
If you can answer these questions and know the history of the property you might know what to do.
Please keep us posted on what you decide to do.
She has been a good tenant, paying on time or even early. As I have mentioned, there are now only 3 months left in the lease and as long as I get the last 3 months, I'm good.
Novelty haunted house tourism realty as a short-term rental is actually a good idea, if you have the capacity to do some good marketing for it.
Host an event highlighting the haunted stuff. have a dark metal band or weird steampunk band play the event.
Cause a local media stir. The local TV stations usually eat that stuff up. Send them info about it well in advance. a nice package with a folder and a professional headshot and a printout of a press release for the event, with lots of great and interesting details that a reporter can easily report and even spice up as they do. Book interviews before the event on TV, Radio and in newspapers and magazines. Use controversy as a way to get that news clip shown on all of the news channels. Many of the most successful spirit-salespeople have used this method as it works well when done right.
Get some funky looking person, even a starving actor for $50 and free food at the event, to be the 'property manager' and say strange, funny phrases to the reporters.
In short, when opportunity (and a ghost) knocks, Raise the Roof with an over-the-top haunted house party, and then Raise the Rent!