A Taiwanese court has ruled that a tenant must compensate her landlord after a death in the rented home turned it into a "haunted house" — bad news for renters, who can now be held liable for what visitors do inside.

• A woman rented a home in Pingtung and lived there with her brother and his girlfriend, who took her own life inside the property.
• The house lost about NT$1.46 million in value because Taiwanese buyers shun homes where a death occurred.
• The court said the tenant failed her duty to manage the property and must pay the loss, even though she did not cause the death.
• The dead woman's two heirs were also held jointly liable, since she could have known the death would hurt the home's value.
• Both the tenant and the heirs argued the claim was too high; the ruling can still be appealed.

Outlook: An appeal is likely, and the case sets a warning for renters in Taiwan, where "haunted house" status can wipe out a big chunk of a property's price.