Methamphetamine tests for rental properties nearly double after April legislation changes

Previously, there was no legally binding threshold – only recommended guidelines.

Kedian said New Zealand’s new benchmark for meth residue levels in rental properties was “the highest in the world”.

He said the new levels were 30 times higher than Australia’s guideline of 0.5mcg per 100sq cm and 10 times New Zealand’s previously recommended level.

However, Kedian said there was evidence of meth harm at lower levels.

In his view, the legislated level should be set about 4mcg to 5mcg per 100sq cm.

“I have concerns about setting it as low as 0.5mcg to 1mcg per 100sq cm because of the amount of meth that is in New Zealand.”

Kedian said his company’s meth tests had “nearly doubled” since the new residue levels and associated penalties came into effect. A large portion of this was “baseline testing” which recorded the property’s condition between tenancies.

“That is what’s driving the growth in baseline testing, and it’s overwhelmingly landlords and property managers doing it.

“Volumes lifted from May, and by September, our monthly testing was close to double the April level,” Kedian said.

He said one in five of this year’s meth tests had returned results above the residue levels.

The company tested properties across Auckland, Waikato, Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty.

Tenancy Services’ guidelines said landlords could face exemplary damages of up to $7200 and pecuniary penalties of up to $50,000 for failing to meet their obligations around meth contamination.

Kedian said first-home buyers generally skipped meth tests.

“They’re trying to cut every cost out that they can, even $300 for a meth test.”

But costs could add up later.

Kedian said a standard three- or four-bedroom 120sq m home with meth contamination above 15mcg would cost about $10,000 to $15,000 for testing and cleaning.

“Once every three months, we get a first-time buyer that’s been caught out. And because they haven’t done a pre-purchase meth test, there’s no insurance cover.

“It’s a huge hit for them.”

Signs of meth production in homes included a “cat-pee smell”, burn marks on ceilings, and pink or yellow discolouration around drains, Kedian said.

“But there are often no signs at all from smoking meth, which is why testing is important.”

He said contamination could reach dangerous levels from meth use.

“Every landlord should be testing between every tenancy.

“If contamination then turns up at the end of the next tenancy, the landlord can point back to the baseline test and demonstrate that the property was not contaminated at the start of the tenancy.

“Without it, they’re [landlords] potentially exposed to a maximum penalty of $57,500 with nothing to defend themselves.”

New Zealand introduced a meth contamination guideline of 0.5mcg per 100sq cm in 2010.

But no legally binding threshold existed until the new legislation introduced this year.

A voluntary standard released in 2017 recommended a 1.5mcg per 100sq cm contamination threshold.

However, a 2018 report by the Prime Minister’s chief science adviser, Professor Peter Gluckman, recommended a 15mcg per 100sq cm threshold, which was used by the Tenancy Tribunal.

A report published in the New Zealand Medical Journal in August this year found the 2018 guideline change was associated with a substantial increase in meth-contaminated homes.

The report found the increase coincided with a rise in meth consumption in New Zealand.

Data from the New Zealand Drug Foundation showed meth consumption climbed 19% in 2023/24 compared with 2021/22.

The report’s lead author, Dr Muhammad Irfan, told the Herald the 2018 recommended level could have increased overall contamination levels.

“People can be a little bit less vigilant or less concerned since a high contamination level is required for testing or for cleaning purposes.”

Two landlords, who the Bay of Plenty Times agreed not to name, said they have spent thousands of dollars decontaminating their rental properties.

One landlord said they paid $30,000 to replace a property’s carpet, curtains, paint and all lights and fixtures.

“Now we don’t trust any tenant, and we test every three months,” they said.

“It was a terrible experience. I went to the police as there were children in the house.”

Another landlord said they had spent thousands on remediation and now requested a meth test at the start and end of every tenancy.

“When I buy, I make sure it is clear as part of due diligence. Cheaper than fixing.”

A Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport spokesperson said landlords should make a “judgment call” on tests between tenancies.

However, they said there were circumstances when a property must be tested.

This included cases when police or a local authority had notified a landlord about meth manufacturing likely taking place on their property, they said.

They said landlords must not knowingly rent out properties contaminated with meth, and tenants who possess, smoke, sell or manufacture meth – or permit others to do so – could be considered as using the property unlawfully.

Doing so breached the Residential Tenancies Act, and the landlord could apply to the Tenancy Tribunal to terminate the tenancy.

Bijou Johnson is a multimedia journalist based in the Bay of Plenty. A passionate writer and reader, she grew up in Tauranga and developed a love for journalism while exploring various disciplines at university. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies from Massey University.