Try looking up the address in the search bar on different social media platforms to see if it matches up with any posts.

Some sites might not let you search by an exact address. In that case, type in the city and state/region and narrow your research down from there. Tip: If you live in the US, search historical census records or public records to find out who lived at the property before you. Then, look up the previous owners’ names on an obituary site or newspaper archive to see what comes up.

“Has anyone died on the property recently?” or “Are there any deaths associated with the property?” are good questions to ask. Keep in mind that realtors in states like North Dakota and Maine can only discuss previous deaths at the home if the current seller allows it.

If someone died at your house’s address, that info will be included in the death certificate.

“I’m so sorry if this is a strange question, but do you know if any of the previous owners died on the property?” “This house looks like it has a lot of history. Do you know anything about the previous owners?” “I heard that something strange happened at this house in the early 20th century. Do you know anything about that?” Depending on the circumstances of the house’s sale, you might not be able to speak with the owner directly.

“How long have you lived in the neighborhood? Has anything strange happened here in the past few years?” “What do you know about the property next door? I’m thinking about moving in and I just wanted to cover all my bases. ” “Has anything criminal happened at the house next door? I don’t want to move into a property with any bad vibes or history. ”

As you checkout, the website will tell you about the death disclosure laws for your particular state. DiedInHouse isn’t a subscription service, but they do offer discounts if you want to purchase multiple searches at once.

HouseCreep mostly focuses on American and Canadian properties, but there’s a small handful of international entries as well.

Websites like Bark make it easy to find PIs in your area.