With methamphetamine use continuing to rise in Australia, we must now also contemplate and initiate strategies to protect our landlords and tenants from the potentially devastating effects both financial and health related.

Whilst Methamphetamine residue is invisible and generally has no smell, it will penetrate anything porous in a home (ie: carpets and curtains, plasterboard walls and ceilings) and has been known to settle in ducted heating/cooling systems, rangehoods and ovens etc. It can be very hard to detect, but as property managers we are training to pick up on possible signs of contamination.
Exposure to this almost invisible threat can place tenants and other residents at risk and owners do have a legislative duty of care to provide safe environments.

Whilst management of methamphetamine within a rental is not yet legislated in Australia, at some stage it is likely that, as with smoke alarms, this too could become a “must do“ item.

First National has already built an alliance with a screening company should we need to follow our New Zealand counterparts in the future – but in the meantime, it is imperative that landlords ensure that your insurance policies are up to date and include protection against both drug labs as well as contamination, as you can never ensure your current tenants won’t fall into the world of this devastating drug.