This is the big topic that everybody is talking about. The common practice now by Property Managers, is to test houses regularly for Meth contamination – prior to a tenancy commencing, during a tenancy and at the bond inspection. Testing is done on an accumulative basis whereby a sample is taken from each room (eight to ten samples), then placed in one test tube and sent for lab testing. If the readings from all rooms add up to over 0.5 mg (which is the unsafe range) further testing is required to find out which room is contaminated. This test ranges anywhere between $1000 – $2500. And then there’s the clean-up costs if any room tests over the 0.5 mg reading. This could be a 3 to 12 month process before getting the readings back down to safe levels. In extreme cases, where Meth has been cooked in the property, you could find the property gets ordered to be demolished.
For those purchasing property for Investment (to hold) and those purchasing property to add value and on sell, we strongly recommend a full Meth Test be carried out and samples sent back to the lab…..we don’t recommend using cheap test kits and trying to test yourselves….these are not 100% effective.
For those that have existing properties, we strongly recommend that these properties should be tested as they become vacant to ensure houses are uncontaminated. We also strongly recommend that during the tenancy at routine inspections, further tests should be under taken and then again at the end of the tenancy.
Our recommendations are as follows:
All property being purchased, to have a Meth Test before going unconditional.
All empty properties you own, have a Meth Test prior to a new tenancy commencing.
All tenanted properties should be placed on a schedule to have a Meth Test.
All properties should be Meth Tested at each routine inspection.
All properties should be Meth tested at the Bond inspection.
Contact us to discuss how we can arrange Methamphetamine Testing in any of your properties (Terms and Conditions apply).