REAL ESTATE AGENTS
Protect yourself and your company
Protect yourself and your company’s reputation by knowing whether a property has been used to manufacture meth.
It’s one thing to rely on the vendor’s legal obligation to disclose but what if they choose not to.
Even if a vendor does disclose that the property has been cleaned, can you or your buyers be certain it’s completely safe?
“It’s not OK to say ‘I have been cooking meth in this property – I’m going to paint the walls and she’ll be right’, because it won’t be fine.” – Jenny Boymal, professional cleaner
Ensure that you know whether a property is clean when you list it. A simple test could save you a whole lot of headaches later on.
At the very least, recommend testing for meth as part of your client’s pre-purchase due diligence. They will thank you for it if a test comes back positive. Once they buy the problem, they own the problem.
The smoking or manufacturing of methamphetamine results in airborne deposits on wall surfaces, carpets, counters and furniture. Solid forms of methamphetamine can be spilled and worked into carpets and upholstery.
Even small amounts of contamination are known to have adverse effects on children, adults and pets living in affected dwellings.
Why bother to meth test?
- Meth contamination is rarely visible.
- Meth labs operate in all suburbs, rich or poor.
- Property contaminated by meth poses serious health risks.
- Decontaminating a property can literally cost tens of thousands of dollars.
- If the property is badly contaminated, it may need to be demolished.
- Insurance cover for decontamination of newly acquired property is unlikely.
- Property with a meth history will typically sell below market rates.
- Buyers are being awarded compensation as a result of living in a contaminated property.