Buyer beware

The Risks of Buying or Renting a Contaminated Home

When buying your dream home for your young family you will possibly do the usual building inspections for defects and white ants etc. but no-one will tell you about Methamphetamine contamination from previous drug use on the property.

We once lived two doors away from a home that was raided by police and declared to be a Meth lab or Clan lab as they are now referred to. That home was completely gutted, plaster ripped off walls, windows removed, door frames, carpets, flooring, kitchen, bathroom, the lot. It was a massive job. We had felt really sorry for the landlord who owned the property. It cost over $60,000 to remediate.

When you purchase a house you may be told there was a ‘clan lab’ here if the property had been raided as a clan lab and you will probably be told it was fully remediated. This sadly may not be the case because the testing and remediation industry is not regulated. No-one will advise you to get your own tests done BEFORE you sign any documents, or to make the sale conditional on an independent forensic test.

However the potential for cover up may be even worse if it was simply a ‘smokehouse’ because then no mention of drug use by previous occupants will be made.

Renting a property it is even harder to ensure the property is safe. Landlords and property managers are very reluctant to reveal that a property has had drug use in the past and the expense of testing can be beyond most tenants’ budget. In addition with property rentals at a premium at the moment when faced with a choice of refusing a property because it might be contaminated or being homeless, tenants often have little choice but to take the property and hope for the best.

Cant’ happen to you? Think again.

Sadly with meth use (or Ice as it is known) growing at an alarming rate too many properties are becoming contaminated. Owners are either doing a quick clean up job, repainting and new kitchen to make the property look good and then renting it out again to unsuspecting tenants or selling it to rid themselves of the expense of a complete remediation.

Why is buying a contaminated house such an issue?

A contaminated property not only contaminates your possessions such as furniture, curtains, clothing, appliances, carpets etc. but it also contaminates you and your family. To put it bluntly by residing in a contaminated home, exposed to the drug residue on a daily basis if you are pulled over for a random drug test you could end up with a positive test result for meth and that will bring with it major issues for you.

The symptoms experienced by you and/or members of your family can be quite diverse and difficult to pin down to meth contamination, leaving you with the choice of continuing to live in a contaminated environment or leave. Sadly most of your possessions will now be contaminated also and need remediation before they can be safely removed and taken to a new residence. This cost is often beyond the reach of most tenants. You are now the victim in this issue, innocent of any wrong doing yet you are often the one to pay the price whether the owner or the tenant of the contaminated property.

I'm insured that will cover it? Think again.

Of major concern is that insurance cover for liability associated with contamination is becoming a risk that many insurers are seeking ways to avoid having to pay out on. Even if the landlord has insurance that covers chemical contamination some insurers are stating that a ‘clan lab’ is a business and therefore not covered under the policy for renting to a residential tenant. Landlords can find they have no cover and open to being sued for negligence by allowing the premises to be leased when in actuality it was not in a fit state to be leased. Agents also leave themselves open to being sued, especially if the tenant or the new purchaser can prove that the agent knew of drug use on the premises and failed to disclose this. Tenants and new property owners find their insurance companies running for cover and denying their claim leaving them with major losses because the costs to remove and destroy the contents can range in excess of $12,000 and on top of that is replacement of lost items.

Consequences of selling or leasing a contaminated home.

Allowing a contaminated home to be sold or occupied by a new tenant leaves the previous owner and/or landlord and their agent exposed to legal action and claims for compensation especially if the tenant or the new purchaser can prove that the agent/landlord knew of drug use on the premises and failed to disclose this. In addition renting a contaminated home may breach the Residential Tenancies Act (duty of care) legislation in each state.

How to be safe?

Being diligent, researching and making sure the property is safe before taking it on is imperative for your health and financial wellbeing. Our team at Meth Advisers is establishing this site to bring you the latest information and links to the latest research available. If you like what we are doing please tell your friends you may just save yourself and them tens of thousands of dollars.