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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Crime & Justice

Tenant ordered to pay $32,000 after son's suicide turns home into 'haunted house'

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • A landlord sued a tenant for 3.5 million NT dollars after the tenant's son died by suicide in the rented property, turning it into a "haunted house."
  • The court ordered the tenant to pay 1.07 million NT dollars for unpaid rent and the property's diminished market value.
  • The tenant had concealed the suicide, claiming she wanted to break the lease due to a snake in the house and a fall injury.

A landlord in Taiwan has won a lawsuit against a tenant whose son died by suicide in a rented property, leading to a significant payout for the landlord. The court ordered the tenant, Ms. Zhang, to pay over 1.07 million New Taiwan dollars (approximately $32,000 USD) to the landlord. This amount covers unpaid rent and compensation for the property's reduced market value after it became known as a "haunted house."

The landlord had initially sought 3.5 million NT dollars. The dispute arose after Ms. Zhang failed to pay rent on time for a property she had leased in 2025. The situation escalated when her son died by suicide in the house just three months into the lease. Ms. Zhang allegedly concealed the death, attempting to terminate the lease by claiming she needed to move out due to a snake sighting and a personal injury from a fall.

The haunted house defect caused a reduction in the property's market value.

— Chiayi District CourtThe court's reasoning for the compensation awarded to the landlord.

However, the landlord discovered the truth when neighbors informed them about the suicide. The landlord argued that the property's value had diminished due to its "haunted" status and sought compensation for this loss, along with the outstanding rent. Ms. Zhang contested the claim, arguing that the property's value depreciation needed expert assessment and that the rental agreement had effectively ended due to non-payment and lack of communication.

The Chiayi District Court ruled that the suicide did cause a reduction in the property's market value, estimated at over 910,000 NT dollars. The court also found Ms. Zhang liable for unpaid rent from October 2025 to June 2026. Despite Ms. Zhang's claims of a dissolved rental agreement, the court maintained that the lease was still active as she had not returned the property. The final judgment requires Ms. Zhang to pay the landlord a total of 1,073,731 NT dollars.

The tenant is still occupying the house and has not returned it to the landlord, so the lease agreement is still ongoing.

— Chiayi District CourtThe court's justification for holding the tenant responsible for unpaid rent.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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