{"id":9195,"date":"2016-09-15T01:00:57","date_gmt":"2016-09-14T15:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/realestatetalk.com.au\/?p=9195"},"modified":"2016-09-15T01:00:57","modified_gmt":"2016-09-14T15:00:57","slug":"what-are-your-tenants-really-up-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/channels.realty.com.au\/realtytalk\/what-are-your-tenants-really-up-to\/","title":{"rendered":"What are your tenants really up to? – Garth Brown"},"content":{"rendered":"

A story today that might send chills through property investors. There is an emerging problem that has been unrecognized in Australia – and that is the increase in methamphetamine poising in properties though the use and manufacture of meth in residential properties.\u00a0 The costs can be horrendous and, by default, will have to be borne by the property owner. We look into this with Garth Brown<\/strong> from Brown and Brown Conveyancers.
\n <\/p>\n

Transcript:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Kevin:\u00a0 <\/b>This story is probably going to alarm many property owners, especially if you have tenants in your property because it\u2019s an emerging problem: meth labs in units or houses that are being rented out.
\nLet\u2019s have a look at this situation, because there are precedents around the world where this could be happening. I think in Australia, we tend to have maybe just turned the other way and thought that it\u2019s not so much of a problem, but it is an emerging problem. We\u2019re going to talk about it with Garth Brown, who is a conveyancer from Brown & Brown.
\nGarth, firstly tell me, how broad is this problem?
\nGarth:\u00a0 <\/b>It\u2019s actually a huge problem in Australia. Per head of population, Australia is one of the highest meth users in the English-speaking world. 2.1% of the Australian population has been reported to be using crystal meth or ice.
\nKevin:\u00a0 <\/b>These are the users, but what we\u2019re talking about is the production where someone sets up a meth lab. They may be using it for themselves, but it\u2019s more what it does to the building. Could you just tell us what the dangers are there?
\nGarth:\u00a0 <\/b>Yes. These meth labs produce these strong, toxic fumes that get into the plasterboard and they get the floorboards. What happens is it slowly start to emit itself and causes health problems to people who are living in rental accommodation or who have bought a new home.
\nKevin:\u00a0 <\/b>Are there any outward signs? Would you know if you walked into one of these? Would it be the smell, or would it be the discoloration of the paint?
\nGarth:\u00a0 <\/b>No. The only way you can find out is basically by doing a meth test.
\nKevin:\u00a0 <\/b>Okay. <\/b>How do we do that?
\nGarth:\u00a0 <\/b>There are particular people that specialize in testing for meth contamination. They\u2019re able to take samples from the floor and the walls, analyze the air, and things like that.
\nKevin:\u00a0 <\/b>I guess we\u2019d find out about those fairly easily. I imagine this would be a big problem for property managers, too. I\u2019m just doing a little bit of reading about this and reading your blog article.
\nBy the way, Garth, I first heard about this from New Zealand. They\u2019ve been on top of this for almost a decade because I remember being there about ten years ago, and they were doing it then.
\nJust reading straight out of your blog article, 50% of all New Zealand government rentals that have been tested for contamination have returned a positive result. That\u2019s a phenomenal number of properties. Close to 400 New Zealand government rental properties are actually tagged as uninhabitable due to meth contamination.
\nIs it an even bigger problem in Australia and we don\u2019t even know about it?
\nGarth:\u00a0 <\/b>That\u2019s right. It\u2019s not a well-known problem, but it\u2019s a real sleeping giant. As I said, 2.1% of Australia\u2019s population is involved with using crystal meth or ice as a user.
\nKevin:\u00a0 <\/b>Then who is responsible for making sure that the premises are clean? I\u2019m talking now about investors who have a property. Is it their responsibility?
\nGarth:\u00a0 <\/b>Yes, it is a landlord\u2019s responsibility to do that. And if a property is affected by this meth in the woodwork and in the floorboards, the only way you can really get rid of it is to rip it out.
\nKevin:\u00a0 <\/b>Goodness. The costs of this are horrendous. You\u2019re better off finding out while the tenants are in there. Thinking this process through, if I have tenants in my property, if they are in fact doing this, I find out, I report it to the police, and they are arrested, would my insurance cover this? Do you know? That\u2019s probably a question you can\u2019t answer.
\nGarth:\u00a0 <\/b>It\u2019s a bit of a gray area. They could or they couldn\u2019t. There are some preventions in place. I notice on a website here \u2013 IPSMAustralia.com.au \u2013 this particular company can put a monitor in the house, and it alerts your smartphone or your iPhone when it starts to detect these odorless fumes coming from a meth lab or someone who\u2019s using meth in the house.
\nKevin:\u00a0 <\/b>Could you give me that website again, please?
\nGarth:\u00a0 <\/b>That\u2019s IPSMAustralia.com.au.
\nKevin:\u00a0 <\/b>Does it tell you there what the cost of that is?
\nGarth:\u00a0 <\/b>It doesn\u2019t, but it gives you a number to talk to them. It\u2019s known as the Ice Breaker.
\nKevin:\u00a0 <\/b>That\u2019s appropriately named. Garth, thanks for telling us about this. It is an emerging problem. It\u2019s one that we need to be aware of, not only as landlords and investors but certainly as tenants moving into a property \u2013 I\u2019d want to know that my kids are going to be safe moving in there \u2013 and rental managers, as well.
\nGarth:\u00a0 <\/b>Some of those health issues are breathing problems, behavior problems, sleep pattern changes, and eye and skin irritation. This is from previously using the property as a meth lab or people using ice in the house.
\nKevin:\u00a0 <\/b>Wow. Yes, I can see what the problem is. Garth, thank you very much for your time and for sharing that information with us.
\nGarth:\u00a0 <\/b>My pleasure. Thanks, Kevin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A story today that might send chills through property investors. 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