A Hamilton landlord is facing bills of $12,000 after a P-lab exploded inside her rental property.
Sue Holdren visited the Walsh St property, her former family home, this week for the first time since the explosion in the house's kitchen on March 28.
The blast left it classified an emergency zone police and needing an expensive clean-up of drug-making chemicals.
Two months on and the house is still empty.
It was originally so contaminated it failed its first decontamination process, which involved removing all fabric furnishings including beds, curtains, light-shades, carpets and vinyl.
Ms Holdren and her partner Don William, both superannuitants living in Australia, could not re-tenant the home and their benefit was all going on expenses including mortgage, rates and insurance.
"This is my home, my nest egg, my retirement home ... renting it was just to be able to warm up our older bones and have a day or two in the sun."
Bills were now piling up $12,000 and climbing although when contacted Ms Holdren's insurer State Insurance confirmed it was highly likely her claim would be approved as early as this week.
The house was rented out to a local woman, who was at the house with her 39-year-old boyfriend when the explosion occurred.
Aggravating matters, when the landlord contacted Hamilton police a month ago she was told the man hospitalised in the fire had discharged himself and was on the run and the female tenant was also refusing to speak to police.
Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Whitehead of Hamilton police confirmed the 39-year-old was "awol".
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