Key facts
- Hong Kong buyers shun homes with unnatural deaths, despite significant discounts.
- Death-linked homes in Hong Kong can see prices fall by up to 50%.
- Rents for stigmatised properties in Hong Kong are typically 20% below market rates.
- Japan mandates disclosure of deaths in properties for three years (rentals) or indefinitely (sales).
- A Tokyo rental apartment with a suicide was discounted by 30%.
Buyers in Hong Kong continue to shun properties where unnatural deaths have occurred, even when offered at significant discounts of up to 50%, with rents also being lower. This contrasts with parts of Europe, like France, where such homes are more readily accepted. In Japan, properties with a history of suicide, murder, or prolonged undiscovered death are known as 'jiko bukken' and come with substantial price reductions. Estate agents are legally required to disclose these incidents for a period of time. For instance, one Tokyo resident pays significantly less rent for an apartment where a suicide occurred, and an American in Japan purchased a house for half its market value due to a previous occupant dying alone.