Meth contamination - Bill introduced to parliament
Friday 23 June 2017
The Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill (No 2) has been introduced to Parliament recently to address three main issues. One of those issues is of high public interest, methamphetamine contamination.
There are currently no regulations concerning the testing for meth on any residential property, levels of contamination (aside from meth lab clean up), and no regulation on companies that offer ‘clean up’ services.
Due to the high level of media interest and public concern, the NZ government has formed a working group whom are currently working on regulations.
The above Bill introduces some measures to reduce the harmful effects of meth in rental properties. These include provisions that a landlord can enter the premises, on notice between specified hours of the day, to test for contamination. The Bill also proposes termination rights for landlords and tenants where the premises are contaminated, and makes it unlawful to provide premises for rent when they know the premises are contaminated.
Once considered by parliament, the Bill will reach its First Reading MPs debate and vote on the bill. If successful, it will be sent to a select committee.
Until the Bill has been passed into law, the best thing you can do as a landlord, is make sure you have adequate insurance cover, and a knowledgeable property manager.
Summit Property Managers receive training from local police on what to look for on our landlord’s behalf when it comes to signs of meth use in rental properties. We will organise testing at a landlord's request if there is evidence to justify this.
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