Nearly half of all properties tested in New Zealand are meth contaminated
That is according to new data which shows that landlords are right to be worried about the issue. Drug testing company Meth Solutions new data illustrates that meth contaminated properties are a big problem around the country.
In Northland 51% of properties tested were meth contaminated, while Bay of Plenty (47%) and Coromandel (46%) had the second and third highest percentages of meth contaminated properties. The South Island had the lowest percentage of meth contaminated properties – but, at 35%, it was still over a third of those tested.
In Auckland, 43% of properties tested were meth contaminated.
When the Auckland figure was broken down further into the regions the percentage of meth contaminated properties was still high.
In both Waitakere and Papakura 48% of properties tested were meth contaminated.
Even in the Auckland regions which had the lowest percentages of meth contaminated properties when tested (North Shore, Auckland City), the figures were still above 30%.
These are worrying figures for property investors and landlords – particularly as a property’s meth history often simply disappears into the ether. According to Meth Solutions, a property’s meth history only ends up on a LIM report if the police are involved and inform Council or if a disaffected tenant or buyer provide a meth report.
But properties contaminated by meth pose serious health risks and the costs involved for property owners can be astronomical.
