Meth Contamination in Rental Properties: What Wellington Landlords Need to Know
Updated October 2026. The Residential Tenancies (Managing Methamphetamine Contamination) Regulations 2026 have been in force since 16 April 2026
The Residential Tenancies (Managing Methamphetamine Contamination) Regulations 2026 now set clear national rules for meth contamination in rental properties. Together with the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, they cover the maximum acceptable levels of meth residue, when testing is required, how testing and decontamination must be done, and what happens to a tenancy when a property is contaminated.
Here's what Wellington landlords need to know.
Landlord and tenant responsibilities
Landlords must not knowingly rent out a property that is contaminated with meth, and must decontaminate it before renting it out. If a tenanted property is found to be contaminated, the landlord can only keep renting it out while it is being decontaminated. Landlords who rent out contaminated properties may be breaching their obligations under the Act. They may also be breaching other laws, such as the Building Act 2004 and the Health Act 1956.
Tenants must not use, sell or manufacture meth at the property. Doing so means using the property for an unlawful purpose, which breaches the Act. Tenants who cause meth contamination, including through their guests, can also be held liable for the damage. The Tenancy Tribunal can order tenants who have used a rental property for an unlawful purpose to pay damages of up to $1,800.
If you think meth is being used, manufactured or sold at a property, contact the Police and your local Council.
The contamination limits
Contaminated (above 15µg/100cm²): A property is contaminated if any part of it has meth residue levels above 15µg/100cm² (micrograms per hundred square centimetres). Those areas must be decontaminated until they are at or below 15µg/100cm².
Contamination is assessed room by room. If a bedroom is above 15µg/100cm² but the kitchen is below, only the bedroom needs to be decontaminated.
Uninhabitable (above 30µg/100cm²): If any part of the property tests above 30µg/100cm², the property is uninhabitable. In this situation, either party can end the tenancy, as long as they are not at fault for the contamination:
Landlords can give 7 days' notice
Tenants can give 2 days' notice
The exception is when the contamination is only in a "remote and inconsequential" part of the property. That means the area is physically separate from the rest of the property, or can be closed off so contamination doesn't spread, and the rest of the property can reasonably be used as a home without it. In that case:
the rent must reduce to reflect the loss of access to that area
neither party can end the tenancy immediately, but either can apply to the Tenancy Tribunal
the Tribunal may end the tenancy if it would be unreasonable to require the landlord to decontaminate that area, or unreasonable to require the tenant to stay (even at reduced rent)
When landlords must test
Landlords must arrange detailed testing if:
the Police or a local Council notifies them that meth has likely been manufactured at the property, or
a valid screening assessment carried out by anyone shows the property is contaminated (at least one area above 15µg/100cm²), and the landlord is made aware of the results.
Otherwise, landlords are not required to test for meth between tenancies, but they can arrange testing if they think it's needed.
Testing and decontamination: who can do what
All screening assessments, detailed testing and decontamination must follow NZ Standard 8510:2017, as modified by the Regulations.
Screening assessments
Screening assessments detect whether meth residue is present and show whether more detailed testing is needed. Anyone can carry out a screening assessment at any time, including landlords, tenants and professionals. For the assessment to be valid, it must use an approved testing method and follow its instructions correctly.
If someone is paid to carry out a screening assessment, they must:
meet the competency requirements of the Standard (or be suitably qualified or experienced, or work for an accredited inspection body or laboratory), and
be separate from anyone who will carry out decontamination work at the same property.
The screening assessment report must include a conclusion on whether the results indicate the property is contaminated.
Detailed testing
Detailed testing confirms how much meth contamination is present, identifies where it is, and concludes whether decontamination is needed. Only qualified professionals can carry out detailed testing. They must not be the same people who will carry out the decontamination, or who have already carried it out.
Approved testing methods
Before buying a screening test or hiring someone to test, confirm the method meets regulatory requirements.
Approved:
individual sampling
laboratory composite testing
validated screening test kits
Not approved:
field composite tests (including NIOSH field composite tests), which combine swabs from more than one location and can't show whether a specific location is contaminated
unvalidated testing kits, which may react to other substances, can be affected by poor sampling techniques, or can give inconsistent results
Decontamination
Landlords must decontaminate any area with meth residue above 15µg/100cm². Landlords can do the work themselves or hire someone else to do it. If you're paying a contractor, they must be separate from anyone carrying out screening assessments or detailed testing at the same property.
Anyone doing decontamination work must take adequate safety precautions, including wearing appropriate protective equipment for the site conditions. They don't need health and safety training.
Some items have specific requirements:
Light fittings and installed heaters should be cleaned as thoroughly as possible, in line with the Standard as modified by the Regulations.
Carpets, curtains and other soft furnishings provided by the landlord must be HEPA-filter vacuumed and then steam cleaned if they can be decontaminated and kept. If they can't be decontaminated to below the limit, they must be removed and disposed of.
Tenants don't have to move out while decontamination is taking place. Landlords and tenants should discuss any temporary relocation and rent reductions while the work is done, and record any agreement in writing. Tenants and landlords are free to choose how to manage personal goods, although some items may need to be decontaminated or removed to reduce the risk of re-contamination.
If you're not sure you can screen, test or decontaminate a property to the required standard, consider hiring a qualified professional.
After decontamination
Once decontamination is complete, a qualified professional who did not do the decontamination must carry out detailed testing again to confirm residue levels are no longer above 15µg/100cm². If any area is still above the limit, the property needs further rounds of decontamination and testing. A formal clearance report and clearance certificate under the Standard are not required.
Notice, results and penalties
If there are existing tenants, landlords must:
give the correct notice before they or their contractors enter the property for testing or decontamination, and
give tenants the results of any screening assessment or detailed test within 7 days of receiving them.
Landlords who don't meet these obligations may be liable for exemplary damages of up to $7,200, and in some situations pecuniary penalties of up to $50,000.
Abandoned belongings
If a tenant leaves belongings behind in a contaminated property, the landlord must deal with them using the abandoned goods process under the Act. When deciding whether the goods are valuable enough to store, landlords must include the cost of testing and decontamination, as well as transport, storage and sale costs. If the goods are worth less than these costs, they can be disposed of.
If some goods can't be stored, tested or decontaminated despite reasonable efforts, keep evidence of those efforts before disposing of them, in case of a dispute.
Disputes and the Tenancy Tribunal
If a landlord and tenant can't resolve a meth-related dispute themselves, such as ending a tenancy or paying for testing and decontamination, either can apply to the Tenancy Tribunal. Before applying, consider:
screening assessment or detailed test results
which parts of the property exceeded the limits
the testing method used and who carried out the test
when testing and decontamination took place
any evidence of meth use or manufacture at the property
how you'll show the Tribunal whether the property was contaminated before the tenancy started
previous Tribunal and court decisions
Get independent legal advice before bringing a matter to the Tribunal, and talk to your insurance company if relevant.
Helpful resources
Tenancy Services has free letter templates for landlords to notify tenants, for both residential tenancies and boarding houses, plus a template for tenants writing to their landlord. It also has an online tool that walks landlords through the steps for testing and decontamination.
If you have questions about meth testing at your rental property, get in touch with the Just Property Management team.