Meth or P related - it goes here, please.

[mrsaneperson]

Does anyone think that the safety issue regarding Meth contamination is the usual overblown safety Nazi propaganda?To give an example, someone dropped a Mercury thermometer on her kitchen floor & it broke ,then calls the fire brigade who enter the house with safety gear on etc. Back in my day we would have just cleaned it up ourselves. Then a few years back a headmaster of a local high school had the entire recreation fields closed off because he'd found a small piece of Fibrolite [contains Asbestos].The over emphasis on safety issues in this country totally lacks perspective.

[Rosco]

Yes it could be blown out of proportions. I think a lot of it is unknown and that is the problem.

I wouldn't want to live in a house that had a P lab. Same as I wouldn't want to live under powerlines. Might be perfectly safe, but I'd still rather not. Or I would only buy if there was a large discount.

I think it is worth investors checking their insurance to see what is covered. And also worth $100 to check a house before you buy it. Imagine the discount you could get, if your potential purchase tested positive? Or for me, I would probably walk away quickly. It just saves a whole lot of hassles.

Apparently the occupants can get quite sick, if the house has been a P Lab, but this is just what I have heard and isn't fact.

It was suggested to me, that if you think you have possible meth issues, that you get really good insurance in place that covers meth cleanup while you still don't know, then after 3 months get a test done.

I think this is a new area to keep an eye on!

Ross

[Glizzle]

I feel like I'm being sold a product reading this thread.

[Rosco]

I have nothing to do with this product at all, or the company. Its also not a client of ours.

I don't care whether you buy this or another product. But what is important is whether you have considered the risk of Meth to your existing rentals, or more importantly to a new one you might be looking at buying. I think meth damage could be a real risk to rental properties.

I apologise if this comes across as a sales pitch, as it is not intended to. It is meant to be informative so that investors are aware of a possible risk.

Ross

[Keys]

The over emphasis on safety issues in this country totally lacks perspective.

Unless there is someone's privacy involved EG. A registered sex offender moves in next door and your three pre school children are at risk. You will not be told.

[essence]

Landlord's P-lab shock

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10879747

[Wayne]

haven't we had someone on here before trying to sell this sort of thing?

[cube]

haven't we had someone on here before trying to sell this sort of thing?

Yes : http://www.propertytalk.com/forum/sh...ght=methminder

[speights boy]

P nightmare for landlord

She is one of thousands facing the issue. From January to September, police dismantled a P-lab on average once every 45 hours.

Stafford also warned estate agents needed to keep home buyers fully informed. "The people most exposed are those in that first-home buyer market who are buying ex-rentals."

The Real Estate Institute said unregulated property managers were a problem. REINZ chief executive Helen O'Sullivan said the institute often had sessions on P contamination risks and advised agents to use portable test kits.

www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10880160

[garrett]

I struggle to understand how on earth 30k could be spent on "decontamination" when meth is soluble in water and will simply wipe off any surface. Most of the chemicals used are cleaners, acid, ammonia, iodine etc basically household products you already have either in the laundry or garage. Washing walls, ceilings and floors with soapy water should clean all surfaces to safe levels easily. Volatile gases that supposedly get trapped in materials such as plasterboard can be treated the same way asbestos is currently dealt with. Encapsulate it with a good paint coating and it will sit and go nowhere.

I don't like scare tactics being used when people are flogging products. The police drug squad use scare tactics when talking about P because their jobs rely on the public being afraid. That fear means there is little questioning of the cost effectiveness of tax payers dollars spent on their wages and enforcement. If they are busting increasing numbers of labs each year doesn't it mean their policy is failing? The more labs you bust the scarcer the product the higher the price the more attractive it is to make. Supply and Demand is always ignored when it comes to prohibition which is illogical. One of the first meth detection, drug testing etc companies was Methcon Group funnily enough led by ex copper Mike Sabin (now a National MP). The scare tactic skills held him in good stead and I suspect being one of the first into the industry enjoyed a good profit before selling to another ex drug squad copper and getting back to living on the public purse. I have to say that I admire the guy, excellent planning and timing throughout his career and he more or less created this entire industry out of nothing.

[boredasbro]

Meth testing

Do you guys do it?

I've just gone conditional on a house in St Heliers - after doing a small bit of research I read that ex metlabs are often painted by the tenant afterwards. This has a few very badly tenant painted rooms.

What do you think - worth getting it done.

I do remember a company selling the wares here a few weeks back but I would love to hear from anyone that has done one before

Regards
Paul

[Raftcomm]

My thoughts are that if you have the slightest suspicion that it may have been used as one, its probably best to get it tested. It would be worse to have it confirmed after you or a tenant has occupied it. Whats the worse that could happen? You are lighter on the pocket but have peace of mind.

Before going down that route, you might want to check out this site first.

Rental properties used in the manufacture of methamphetamine (‘P’)

[SometimesSane]

I believe the local police can tell you if an address has been discovered as a meth lab. Although I guess that doesn't cover an 'undiscovered' one.

[boredasbro]

Aye, I don't think this will be a known one. I actually think it's very unlikely to be one but as Raftcomm said to be slightly lighter in the pocket it will give me piece of mind

Anyone used "Metsolutions" in the past?
Any good?

[garrett]

Do you guys do it?

I've just gone conditional on a house in St Heliers - after doing a small bit of research I read that ex metlabs are often painted by the tenant afterwards. This has a few very badly tenant painted rooms.

What do you think - worth getting it done.

I do remember a company selling the wares here a few weeks back but I would love to hear from anyone that has done one before

Regards
Paul

A waste of money in my opinion. If there is no obvious damage via staining to any surfaces or funny smells etc, then the likely level of meth contamination would be minimal. In which case a good clean wiping down all surfaces with soapy water will remove any surface meth and other possible contaminants remaining (assuming it was actually meth contaminated at all). Then tidy up with painting.

If we currently encapsulate asbestos with a few good coats of paint I don't see why meth would be more difficult considering it is completely soluble in water.

I think the meth danger in houses is completely overblown. I am not a fan of scare tactics used to flog products either.