For years, Sarasota’s housing market has been haunted by a different kind of spirit: the monochrome one. More inventory on the market means a generous number of staged homes painted in shades of Agreeable Gray, Repose Gray and Grave Mistake. Some look so drained of life that they could qualify for paranormal activity on aesthetics alone.

But if the ghosts in your house are more literal—flickering lights, mysterious footsteps or a cold draft no home inspector can explain—you might be wondering:  Should you tell buyers your house is haunted before you list?

According to real estate law, Florida homeowners can rest in peace. Unlike requirements to disclose prior flooding, the state doesn’t require sellers to disclose hauntings. So unless your poltergeist has damaged the plumbing, you can list that historic Cherokee Park home without mentioning the cold spots or shadowy figures near the pool cage.

Up north, though, things get creepier. In Stambovsky v. Ackley, a New York court ruled that a house was house legally haunted because the owner had spent years bragging to the press about her resident ghosts. When she sold the place and kept quiet about the hauntings, the buyer sued—and got half their deposit back.

The takeaway: if you tell everyone your house is haunted, you may have to tell your buyer too.

In fact, in Florida, sellers can keep a lot under wraps. They don’t have to mention if a home was ever tied to a crime—or if anyone met an untimely end inside. In short, even if things go bump in the night, the seller is under no obligation to make a peep. In other words, haunted history? Optional. Termites? Mandatory.

Locally, the Realtors Association of Sarasota and Manatee (RASM) has a more grounded philosophy that may help boost your chances at closing a sale: “At RASM, we believe in making homes as welcoming as possible, whether that’s through curb appeal, fresh paint or a little sage for good measure," RASM leadership wrote in a statement. "While realtors aren’t in the business of spiritual staging, we know that selling a home is as much about how it feels as how it looks. If a little sage, good energy or positive vibes help a seller feel ready to list or help a buyer feel more at home, then we say, ‘Why not?’ Just remember to declutter, depersonalize and maybe open a few windows afterward. After all, a clear space and a clear conscience never hurt a closing.”

If the word is out about a haunting, however, as it is with the Van Wezel estate—a 1936 Mediterranean Revival mansion on Sarasota Bay—a buyer can might even decide to overlook the paranormal when the home looks that good. Decades ago, one its former owners died by suicide inside the home, a fact known locally but one that, under Florida law, a seller wouldn’t be required to disclose. After a major restoration that revived both the home's grandeur and notoriety,  the home shows that even the darkest backstory can fade beneath a gorgeous remodel.

So, whether you’re banishing ghosts or just bad décor choices, sellers would be smart to heed that advice. Open the windows. Light the sage. Maybe swap that gray-on-gray palette for something with a pulse. Because around here, the only thing scarier than a haunted house is one that looks like it was designed by a zombie.