Do you have to tell a homebuyer if your house is haunted? What WA law says

When buying a house, there are multiple factors to consider.

Is the home the right size for your family? How’s the location? Does the design suit your style?

Buyers also have to ensure the house is safe, with appliances working properly.

Sometimes the home’s history also comes into play.

Are sellers and real estate agents in Washington state required to disclose if a house is haunted?

Here’s what to know:

Do Washington sellers have to disclose if a home is haunted?

Washington state law doesn’t directly mention paranormal activity when it comes to selling a house.

However, some states require homeowners and sellers to come clean about homes’ supernatural history.

In New York, homeowners and sellers have to tell potential buyers if a home is haunted, in the case it impacts the value of the home.

People selling homes in New Jersey must answer honestly if potential buyers asks about ghost sightings or unexplained, but they don’t have to automatically tell every prospective buyer.

“A seller is required to disclose any history of supernatural occurrences only if the buyer explicitly asks about it,” New Jersey law firm Zager Fuchs, PC, said on its website.

Do I have to tell buyers that someone died on the property?

Some states require sellers to disclose deaths on properties within a certain time frame.

In California, sellers must usually mention if anyone died in the home in the past three years.

There’s one exception. If a person died due to HIV or AIDS, that information doesn’t have to be disclosed to the buyer, according to the California Association of Realtors.

Real estate agents in Alaska have to tell prospective homebuyers if they’re aware of a murder or suicide on the property within the past year.

In Georgia, however, you’re only required to disclose a death on the property if you’re asked about it.

Washington has no such requirements, although state law requires sellers to disclose any “existing material defects” if they physically affect the property.

Do I need to mention murder or suicide when selling a home?

According to the Revised Code of Washington, homeowners and real estate agents don’t have to tell would-be buyers about murders, sexual assaults and other violent crimes on their property.

Suicides do not need to be reported either.

However, sellers must tell buyers that they can get information about any registered sex offenders living near the home directly from local enforcement.

Under Washington law, homeowners must report just two kinds of activity to potential buyers:

• If the property was a legal or illegal dumping site at any point
• If the property has been used as an illegal drug manufacturing site

What are sellers required to tell homebuyers in Washington?

The Revised Code of Washington outlines what must be disclosed to potential property buyers.

That includes basic information about when the property was built and who owns it.

Sellers must speak up about problems with appliances or potential defects in the water, heating or cooling systems, among other issues.

Sellers are also required to report if the basement has flooded or leaked; the property has settled or slid, or any pest infestation has taken place under their ownership, Washington law says, as well as whether the roof has leaked within the past five years,

In addition, sellers have to disclose environmental concerns such as standing water or drainage problems.

Some of the other disclosures required by state law include:

• Boundary disputes, agreements or encroachments
• Current assessments
• Zoning violations
• Unusual restrictions that could impact construction
• Any covenants, conditions or restrictions against the property

However, sellers are welcome to disclose more information than they’re required by law.

This story was originally published October 6, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Do you have to tell a homebuyer if your house is haunted? What WA law says."