Do you have the right to know if someone died in a house?

When buying a home in South Carolina, there are many things that you think about. You check into multiple aspects of the home to ensure it is solid and there are no major issues that will end up costing you a lot of money. In some cases, you may inquire about the family who is selling the home and why they are moving to get more insight. Plus, the realtor has a duty to disclose certain things to you. However, there is something that you may not think about and that the realtor may not tell you about. That is if someone has died in the house.

While this may not be a concern for you, many people feel odd about moving into a home where someone has died, regardless of how the death came about. According to Realtor.com, a realtor does not always have to tell you if someone died in the home. The only time he or she is legally bound to tell you is if there was a violent death. Of course, if there was a murder in the home you are about to buy, it is likely you will already know.

Of course, you can always ask if there was a death in the house. In that case, the realtor does have to tell you anything that he or she knows. However, if you do not ask, the realtor does not have to tell you about other non-violent deaths.

The requirement to disclose a violent death is because this could lower the property value. This is something that the law mandates because you should be getting the fairest price possible and if the value is lower for some reason, you have the right to know. This information is for education and is not legal advice.