Methamphetamine is a Class A controlled drug described in the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. It is a highly addictive stimulant, and its use carries significant health risks.

If meth is used or manufactured at a property, this can leave residue that contaminates the property and may make it unfit for human habitation.

The Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (the Act) sets out what happens if a property is suspected or found to be contaminated with meth. This includes landlords’ responsibilities in relation to contaminated properties.

Residential Tenancies Act 1986 – New Zealand Legislation(external link)

The Residential Tenancies (Managing Methamphetamine Contamination) Regulations 2026 (the Regulations) set out the maximum acceptable levels of meth residue in rental properties. These regulations also include guidelines for testing and decontamination.

Residential Tenancies (Managing Methamphetamine Contamination) Regulations 2026 – New Zealand Legislation

If you think the use, manufacture, or sale of meth is taking place at a property, contact the Police and your local Council.

Methamphetamine and the law — New Zealand Police(external link)

Landlords must not rent out properties that create health risks

Landlords must not knowingly rent out properties contaminated with meth. Landlords must decontaminate those properties before renting these out.

If a tenanted property is found to be contaminated with meth, the landlord may continue to rent out the property only if it is being decontaminated.

Landlords who rent out contaminated properties may be breaching their obligations under the Act. They may also be breaching other legislation such as the Building Act 2004 and the Health Act 1956.

Tenants must not use or manufacture meth

The use, possession, sale and manufacture of meth are offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. Tenants who smoke, sell or manufacture meth in a rental property are using the property for an unlawful purpose. This is a breach of the Act.

Tenants who cause meth contamination are also breaching their obligation to not intentionally or carelessly damage the property. Tenants can be found liable for damage from meth contamination caused by a tenant or their guests.

The Tenancy Tribunal may order tenants who have used a rental property for an unlawful purpose to pay damages of up to $1,800.

Maximum acceptable levels of meth residue

Contaminated properties

A property is contaminated if any part of it has meth residue levels above 15µg/100cm² (micrograms per hundred square centimetres). These parts of the property must be decontaminated until their meth residue levels are 15µg/100cm² or less.

Contamination is determined on a room-by-room basis. For example, if a property’s bedroom is above 15µg/100cm² but the kitchen is below 15µg/100cm², only the bedroom needs to be decontaminated.

Uninhabitable properties

If any part of the property is tested and found to have meth residue levels above 30µg/100cm², the property is uninhabitable. 30µg/100cm² is the maximum inhabitable level as set out in legislation.

In this situation, under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, landlords and tenants have the option of ending the tenancy unless these levels of contamination are found only in a ‘remote and inconsequential’ part of the property.

• Landlords can give 7 days’ notice when terminating a tenancy in this way, if they are not at fault for the contamination.
• Tenants can give 2 days’ notice when terminating a tenancy in this way, if they are not at fault for the contamination.

Parts of the property are ‘remote and inconsequential’ only if:

• they are physically separate from the rest of the property, or can be closed off in a way that stops the spread of contamination to the rest of the property, and
• the rest of the property can be reasonably used as a residence without that area.

If only a ‘remote and inconsequential’ part of the property is found to be uninhabitable:

• The rent must reduce, to reflect the loss of access to that area.
• Neither landlords nor tenants can immediately end the tenancy. However, either party may apply to the Tenancy Tribunal to request termination.

The Tribunal may decide to end a tenancy if it would be unreasonable to require the landlord to decontaminate that area, or unreasonable to require the tenant to stay in the tenancy (even at reduced rent).

Testing for meth

Screening assessments

Screening assessments detect the presence of meth residue and show if more detailed testing is needed. For a screening assessment to be valid, it must use an approved testing method and follow its instructions correctly.

Any person can carry out a screening assessment for a property at any time. This includes tenants and landlords, as well as professionals.

If a landlord carries out a screening assessment during a tenancy, they must follow notification and disclosure requirements under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986:

• Landlords must provide the correct notice to tenants before they or their contractors enter the property.
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• Landlords must notify all tenants of the results within 7 days of receiving these.
• Landlords who fail to meet their obligations may be liable for exemplary damages of up to $7,200. In some situations, pecuniary penalties of up to $50,000 may apply.

Detailed testing

Detailed testing confirms how much meth contamination is present in a property, identifies where this is located, and concludes whether decontamination is needed.

Landlords are required to arrange for detailed meth testing if:

• the Police or a local Council notifies them that meth has likely been manufactured on the property, or
• a valid screening assessment carried out by any person shows that the property is contaminated (at least one area where meth residue levels are above 15µg/100cm²), and the landlord is made aware of these results.

Only qualified professionals can perform detailed testing. These professionals must not be the same persons who will perform decontamination work for the same property.

Landlords who carry out detailed testing must also follow notification and disclosure requirements under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986:

• Landlords must provide the correct notice to tenants before they or their contractors enter the property.
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• Landlords must notify all tenants of the results within 7 days of receiving these.
• Landlords who fail to meet their obligations may be liable for exemplary damages of up to $7,200. In some situations, pecuniary penalties of up to $50,000 may apply.

Landlords are otherwise not required to arrange for meth testing between tenancies. Landlords can arrange for testing if they think this is needed.

Testing methods

Before you buy a screening test or hire someone to undertake meth testing, you should confirm that the testing will meet regulatory requirements. Only some approved testing methods can be used for a valid screening assessment or detailed testing.

Approved testing methods include:

• individual sampling
• laboratory composite testing
• validated screening test kits (in line with the New Zealand Standard 8510:2017, as modified by the Regulations). 

Testing methods that are not approved include:

• field composite tests, which combine swabs from more than one location and cannot identify whether specific locations are contaminated
• unvalidated testing kits, which may react to other substances, can be affected by poor sampling techniques, or can give inconsistent results.

Screening assessments and detailed testing must both be completed in line with the New Zealand Standard 8510:2017, as modified by the Regulations.

Testing and decontamination of methamphetamine-contaminated properties – Standards New Zealand(external link)

Meth testing and decontamination standards

Decontamination

Landlords must decontaminate areas or spaces in a property if their meth residue levels are over 15µg/100cm². Landlords can either decontaminate these spaces themselves, or hire a professional to manage the decontamination.

Landlords must provide the correct notice before they or their contractors enter a property to decontaminate affected spaces.

Decontamination must follow the process prescribed in the Residential Tenancies (Managing Methamphetamine Contamination) Regulations 2026 (the Regulations). This is based on Section 4 of New Zealand Standard 8510:2017 Testing and decontamination of methamphetamine-contaminated properties, with the consideration that 15μg/100cm² is the maximum acceptable level of meth residue.

Note that the Regulations provide some exceptions to New Zealand Standard 8510:2017. Landlords may need to clarify with a professional if testing and decontamination needs to be completed according to the Regulations.

Some items must also be managed according to specific legal requirements:

• Light fittings and installed heaters should be cleaned as thoroughly as possible in accordance with New Zealand Standard 8510:2017, as modified by the Regulations.
• If they are capable of being cleaned and are to remain in the property, all carpets, curtains and other soft furnishings within the contaminated area that are provided by the landlord as part of the tenancy agreement must be HEPA filter-vacuumed and steam cleaned.
• Carpets, curtains and other soft furnishings that cannot be cleaned (such as couches or mattresses) must be removed from the property and replaced.

Tenants are not required to move out while decontamination is taking place. However, landlords and tenants should discuss possible relocation arrangements while the work is being done, along with any rent reductions. Any such agreements should be recorded in writing.

Tenants and landlords are free to choose how to manage personal goods as part of a decontamination process. Note that some items in contaminated properties may need to be decontaminated or removed to reduce the risk of re-contamination.

Testing and decontamination of methamphetamine-contaminated properties – Standards New Zealand(external link)

Meth testing and decontamination standards

If you are not sure if you can decontaminate a property according to these standards and regulations, you should consider hiring a qualified professional to do so.

After decontamination is completed, a qualified processional must carry out detailed testing of the property again. This is to confirm that meth residue levels are no longer above 15µg/100cm². If levels are still above 15µg/100cm², additional rounds of decontamination and detailed testing need to take place.

Tenancy Tribunal

Some landlords and tenants may encounter a meth-related dispute they cannot resolve themselves. If this happens, they can apply to the Tenancy Tribunal to resolve the matter. This may include situations such as terminating a tenancy due to meth contamination, or payment arrangements for meth testing and decontamination.

Tenancy Tribunal

Landlords and tenants should first consider all available information before taking a meth-related claim to the Tenancy Tribunal. This may include:

• results from screening assessments or detailed tests
• the parts of the property found to exceed maximum accepted levels of meth residue
• the testing method used, and the person who conducted the test
• previous Tribunal decisions
• other court decisions.

Landlords and tenants should also consider:

• when the testing and decontamination took place
• any evidence of meth use or manufacture at the property
• how to satisfy the Tribunal that the premises were or were not contaminated before the tenancy started.

Before bringing a matter before the Tenancy Tribunal, we recommend that landlords and tenants seek independent legal advice. They should also speak to their insurance company if applicable.

Tenancy Tribunal decisions — Ministry of Justice(external link)

Abandoned belongings

If a tenant has left behind any items or belongings in a contaminated property, the landlord must deal with these abandoned goods using the processes in the Act. The landlord should take any extra costs of decontamination and testing into account when dealing with these goods.

Abandoned goods

Landlords must factor the costs of testing and decontamination when determining whether abandoned goods are valuable enough to be stored. This is in addition to costs they may incur from transport, storage and sale. If the value of the goods is below these costs, the landlord can dispose of the goods.

Sometimes it is not possible to store, test or decontaminate some goods despite the landlord’s reasonable efforts. In these cases, the landlord should keep evidence of their efforts to store or decontaminate abandoned goods before disposing of them. The landlord can then produce this evidence in the event of a dispute.