Chemcare Are There For Landords & Property Managers Re Meth Contamination

People often ask if it is the landlord or property manager’s responsibility to test and decontaminate, and the answer is, they are both responsible. However, a WorkSafe NZ spokesperson has said that, under the Health and Safety at Work Act, a landlord would not be expected to test for meth presence in a rental property as a matter of course.

She said if a landlord or property manager believes tenants are using or manufacturing meth in a rental property it has nothing to do with the new health and safety legislation, but they should inform the police. “If a landlord or property manager believes an untenanted property has been used for meth usage or manufacturing, they should arrange for it to be tested and cleaned up to ensure it is fit for residence before it is re-let.”

If landlords rent out a property that is contaminated by ‘P’, they are breaching their obligations under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, as well as other legislation such as the Building Act and the Health Act, and again, it is the property manager’s obligation as well.

Standards New Zealand has started work on developing a New Zealand standard on the testing and remediation of properties used for the manufacture or use of methamphetamine, and the Auckland Regional Public Health Service has identified some warning signs that a lab is operating. These include: unusual chemical smells that are not normally present in the area, numerous chemical containers (labelled solvent, acid, flammable) stored or stock piled stained glass equipment and cookware, plastic or glass containers fitted with glass or rubber tubing, numerous cold tablet packages lying around or in the rubbish, portable gas tanks or other cylinders not normally seen or used in the area, chemical stains around household kitchen sink, laundry, toilet or stormwater drains and yellow/brown staining of interior floor, wall, ceiling and appliance surfaces.

When you’re considering renting a property, make sure 'P' hasn’t been used or made or it has been properly decontaminated. Chemcare provide specialist meth or drug decontamination, to ensure your home or rental is absolutely safe, so for more information on Chemcare please visit the website at http://www.chemcare.co.nz