The Rise of Meth Contamination In Homes

Methamphetamine use is a growing problem in New Zealand.

Traces of the drug also known as P are being detected in houses all over the Auckland Region, from the leafy suburbs of Central Auckland, North shore to the lower socioeconomic areas of West and South Auckland.

A Ministry of Health guidelines say that 100 squire centimeter area with a Meth concentration of 0.5% micrograms or above is not safe. These days the Ministry is been reviewed guidelines to make the minimum level clearer between Meth using and Meth manufacturing, with suggestions from the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) recommendation that the acceptable level of contamination for a house where P was smoked to be 1.5 or 2 micrograms per 100 square Cm.

Traces of Methamphetamine and the chemicals used to produce it could still be found in your house for 5 – 10 years after exposure or longer if Meth was manufactured in the property.
In some cased where Methamphetamine laboratory have created excessive damage to a house, it will have to be demolished.

Would Meth go on your LIM?

The reality is that unless the police is been informed or involved in the exposure of Meth lab there is no way for then council to know about it.  Often the council will not be notified of contamination and there will be no record of contamination on the LIM, regardless of positive test from a Meth testing company.

Insurance and who pay for Meth test.

Many property managers and Real Estate agents recommend Landlords, Sellers and Home Buyers
to have property tested between tenancies or when selling or buying houses.

We, at PropertyBuyersAuckland.co.nz often commission our own Meth test for houses we buy, It is not only for our tenants wellbeing we carry the test but also for insurance reasons.

Very few insurance companies still offer full cover for Methamphetamine contamination, because of potential cost of remediation. Cleaning a contaminated house could cost anything from $2000 to ten of thousands of dollars, sometime even more.

If you want to sell your house privately, don’t worry. Contact our friendly team for no obligation consultation.