Property Managers/Sales Agents

Agents, Buyers agents, Property Managers & Landlords

Do you suspect meth smokers or manufacturers on your property or in the vicinity? Call the experts!

How We Test! Request Price! Request Info Booklet!

Agents, Buyers agents, Property Managers & Landlords

Here at Stewarts, we do our best to cater for Real Estate Agencies and their sales and rental properties. Stewarts have worked closely with property managers and sales staff for many years assisting with pre-purchase inspection, tenant vacates requirements and general upkeep required to manage a property adequately.

You can trust that our qualified team have the experience and knowledge to care for everyone involved in the process of having a tenanted property inspected and tested for Meth.

All the information you need in one book!

Request a Property Manager Information Booklet
Meth Testing/Pest Control Prices & Information

EMAIL ME A BOOKLET POST ME A BOOKLET

Property Manager Information Book Cover Page

No "Meth Testing" Signage!

Concerned about nosey neighbours?

We can attend your property in a Stewarts Pest Control truck.

When we arrive you wont receive unusual looks from your neighbours due to large signs noting "meth testing" or any of the alike. We can arrive in one of our Stewarts Pest Control trucks to protect your privacy.

When To Test For Meth

Meth contamination is invisible and has little to no smell. You may be thinking that your tenant didn't have a lab set up and therefore the property won't be contaminated. But in reality, it is estimated that around 20% of contamination problems are linked to labs; 80%

to meth users. Australia has the highest number of meth users per capita in the English-speaking world, and even more shockingly that number is now three times higher than it was in 2011. So when should we be testing?

- Regular Testing Between Tenants -

- Pre-purchase testing -

- Pre-sale testing -

The Risks of Not Testing

Not testing a rental property can lead to concerning health effects for tenants, especially children and pets. The health effects below were noted in an Australian family who purchased a home that was a former meth lab. You can read more about this in our blog post The Health Risk of Meth Contamination and Dr Jackie Wright’s Case Study. Legal risks and financial risks are also very real when a rental property is not consistently tested for meth. You can find more information noted below.

Health Risks

The effects of meth can be varied and long lasting depending on the exposure. Symptoms can include:

Headaches
Burning, watery or stinging eyes
Nausea
Coughing or choking
Shortness of breath or dizziness
Feeling cold or weak
Convulsions

If methamphetamines have been smoked or manufactured on a property, the contamination will seep into walls, floors, furniture and carpet.

If you have small children who are prone to touching everything, they are exposed to the risk of getting contaminated.

Legal Risks

Property owners and managers are responsible for ensuring that a property is a safe and healthy habitation for renters. Australia laws (EPA and local government) states that meth contamination above the 0.5μg/100cm² is not acceptable. Landlords are beginning to face lawsuits from tenants who have moved into an already contaminated property and have become sick as a result.

Financial Risks

Decontaminating property can cost thousands of dollars. If decontamination form a meth lab is necessary, costs usually start around $10,000 but can easily reach $40,000 for a large home. Some homes are contaminated to the point where it cannot be decontaminated, and the building needs to be demolished. This financial cost is very really covered by insurance and unfortunately falls to the owners.

When considering this Stewarts Drug testing can also offer alternative decontamination methods depending on the level of contamination.

Signs Thats a Tenant Might be Using or Manufacturing Meth

There are a few main signs that could be an indicator that a tenant is using or manufacturing meth. These indicators are only a guide. Stewarts Drug testing is offering FREE meth testing and detection presentation for Real Estate Agencies. Within this presentation, we go through all the key indicators with real-life examples, if you are interested feel free to contact us today!

TENANT BEHAVIOURS

Aggressive Behaviour
Itching & scratching more then usual
Paranoid Behaviour
Lots of movement of cars and visitors (usually at strange times)
Lots of cell phones/sim cards
Smoking outside
Disposal of rubbish in different locations abnormal amount of rubbish
Not very responsive
Very secretive
Not allowing you to enter specific rooms, sheds etc.

How does meth contamination affect human health?
The effect of living in a contaminated building can be wide-ranging. The symptoms can be similar to the seasonal impacts associated with allergies or colds and flu or more problematic.

The main point of difference you need to note is that symptoms will persist far longer than you would typically expect. Some people may experience none of these symptoms, while others may suffer from a large number of them.

Symptoms include:
- Headaches
- Watery or burning eyes
- Nausea
- Burning skin
- Coughing or choking
- Pain in diaphragm
- Feeling cold or weak
- Shortness of breath or dizziness
- A decrease in cognitive function
- Confusion
- Vertigo
- Convulsions
- Sleep disorders
- Stinging Eyes
The chemical residue, leftover from the manufacturing process, can seep into soft furnishings, carpets, timber floors and door frames, and even walls and ceilings. While you often can’t see the toxins, you may be made painfully aware of their presence through the above symptoms. Children, adults and pets living in contaminated dwellings have been known to suffer ill-effects of exposure.

Sadly children are most at risk due to their inquisitive nature naturally wanting to touch and taste and texture of different objects.

For more information, head to our blog page!
What are the Australian Guidelines?
- Australian Guidelines for Meth Residue within a Residential Property is 0.5μg/100cm2
- Australian Guidelines for Meth Residue within a Commercial/Industrial Property is 10μg/100cm2.
The Australian Government (in its Clandestine Drug Laboratory Remediation Guidelines – 2011) has set the Health Investigation Level at 0.5μm (micrograms) per 100cm2 for meth on residential surfaces.

Exceedance of this Investigation Level (IL) does not necessarily mean a risk exists but indicates the need for further investigation or action such as a NIOSH 9111 test. This guideline is set as a goal to receive a reading of below this national health investigation level (HIL) of 0.5ug/100cm2, the exceedance of this level is considered unacceptable.
Why is it essential to get rental properties tested?

Property managers and owners leasing out property have a legal responsibility to make sure the tenant is living in a safe and healthy environment.

On top of this, a tenant is considered to be causing malicious damage when smoking or manufacturing Meth, causing contamination to the building.

This is why we recommend a 0.2ug rapid test when a tenant is vacating a property. This ensures that the property remains contamination free.
Do Stewarts offer Payment Plans?

YES! Installments can be made quickly and efficiently with the assistance of our accounts manager.
I suspect my rental or personal home is contaminated, what test should I do first?

Depending on your situation, we will start with a rapid test at either 0.2μg or 0.5μg. This test will identify if meth is present within the property.
We will mostly start testing at 0.5μg as this is the Australian guideline level. This Rapid test will give a positive or negative result to methamphetamine residue over 0.5μg or over 0.2μg. We will complete this test to the number of rooms you request.
If a single room (or multiple rooms) show positive to methamphetamine residue over 0.5μg, we then suggest that you test those rooms with the NIOSH 9111 test. This test is a laboratory test that will show the exact contamination level.
At each step of the testing process, we will explain the results and what the next step is.

SMELLS & EQUIPMENT

Smells

Varnish or Paint Thinner
A “hospital” type smell
Vinegar or other sour smells
Ammonia

Equipment

A large amount of plastic bottles (some labs only use shake and bake or one pot method and this would be the only evidence of a lab)
Rubber Tubes
Respiratory masks and filters
Unusual quantities of rubber gloves
Things like bed sheets or coffee filters stained red from being used as strainers
Funnels - lots of them
Copper metal turning blue
Pyrex, glass, mason jars or other kitchen glassware (these may be fitted with hoses, clamps, or duct tape.)