From 16 April, new regulations have come into force establishing clear requirements for the management of methamphetamine contamination in residential rental properties.
The Residential Tenancies (Managing Methamphetamine Contamination) Regulations introduce standardised testing requirements, defined contamination thresholds, and clear procedures for decontamination and tenancy management. These changes are designed to create a more consistent and transparent framework for landlords, property managers, and tenants.
What this means for landlords and property managers
- Professional testing must be arranged where Police or a Council advise there is likely to have been methamphetamine manufacturing activity, or where a legally valid screening test records contamination levels above 15µg/100cm².
- Properties identified as contaminated must be decontaminated to prescribed safe levels as soon as reasonably practicable.
- Tenants must be kept informed throughout the process and provided with copies of test results within 7 days.
- Additional legal requirements may apply where contamination levels render the property legally uninhabitable.
What this means for tenants
- Tenants must be notified when testing is required and are entitled to receive copies of any test results.
- Where contamination is identified, responsibility for arranging decontamination rests with the landlord.
- Depending on the contamination level and the circumstances surrounding the contamination, tenants may be entitled to remedies such as rent reductions or the right to terminate the tenancy.
For further information and guidelines on methamphetamine contamination, visit:
https://www.tenancy.govt.nz/maintenance-and-inspections/meth-and-rental-properties/guidelines-on-meth-contamination/
