Do Missouri Sellers Have to Disclose a Haunted House?

Buying a home, whether it’s your first or your fifth, is stressful enough. The last thing you want to worry about is whether the place is haunted. But here’s the real question: do sellers actually have to tell buyers if a house has a haunted history?

With October here and the spooky season underway, it got me wondering—when selling a home, do you legally have to disclose that it’s haunted?

The answer: No.

In Missouri, there is no law requiring a seller to disclose anything about hauntings. In fact, according to Real Estate Laws & Forms, sellers don’t have to reveal if a murder, suicide, or other tragic event took place in the home, either.

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What they do have to disclose, if they’re aware of it, is whether the property was ever used for meth production. However, sellers are not required to research the property’s past or investigate its history beyond what they already know.

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I find that pretty fascinating. You’re legally obligated to share if a home was once used for drugs, but not if it was the scene of a death. Personally, besides the important details like the roof and foundation, I’d definitely want to know if a murder happened there or if the house had a reputation for being haunted. Some people might love the idea of living in a haunted home, but me? That’s a hard pass. To each their own.

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My advice: if you’re looking at a house and it gives you an unsettling vibe, just ask. See what your realtor or the seller says. You never know what kind of history the place might be hiding.