When buying a new property, pre-purchase pest and building inspections are considered to be part of standard process for the savvy investor or home owner. But some purchasers are choosing to go a step further and have their properties tested for methamphetamine residue. Is this a necessary step, or is it unwarranted paranoia?
Methamphetamine use (or meth, crystal meth, speed and Ice) is on the rise in Australia. Use amongst regular users has increased in the last five years, with Ice usage more than doubling since 2010. According to a government report released by enHealth in 2017, only one in every ten meth labs is detected by authorities. Of these, 68.4% are found in or near domestic dwellings. In addition, regular users of methamphetamines can easily leave residual contaminants behind. Depending on the composition of the drug and level of contamination, chemical residue can stay in a property for months, years, even indefinitely.
In New Zealand, meth testing has become part of the standard process when conducting pre-purchase building inspections, with the government introducing an official standardin 2017 to regulate testing practices. In 2015, Housing New Zealand reportedly spent nearly $6 Million on cleaning up methamphetamine contamination in state owned housing. However, these practices have come under some criticismby those who believe the risks of living in a home with detectable traces of methamphetamine have been exaggerated, sending people into a panic and spending thousands of dollars on clean up procedures that as well as being costly, are possibly unnecessary.
However for potential purchasers of property, residual traces of methamphetamine in the property can have serious consequences for health, future resale value, and can turn into an expensive problem to fix if not picked up sooner rather than later. Unlike other contaminates, methamphetamine contamination is impossible to detect without professionally administered swab testing. For a purchase as important as a new home or long term investment, having assurances that your property is safe to occupy and will not cost you thousands in decontamination fees can offer great peace of mind, and is well worth taking under consideration.
If you’re looking to buy property and are interested in methamphetamine testing, AB Morison can refer you to a reputable provider.
