Solo mum and P house in city

JONATHAN CAMERON/Manawatu Standard

ON THE CASE: The New Zealand Drug Detection Agency's Jason Trembath and Calum Davie testing for methamphetamine in a Palmerston North rental property.

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A Palmerston North family is desperately trying to find a new home after tests revealed their health problems were caused by previous tenants smoking or cooking methamphetamine on the property.

The case has highlighted gaps in the law, with confusion surrounding who is legally responsible to pay for testing of properties thought to be contaminated by drugs.

Lisa, a solo mother of three, who doesn't want her last name published, had no idea what was lurking in the ceiling and walls when she moved into the three-bedroom Awapuni house six weeks ago.

During her first inspection she noticed a strong cat-urine smell but thought it was from the carpets being professionally cleaned.

A number of light bulbs were missing and the plastic toilet seat had been slightly melted, she said.

Within a week Lisa and her daughters aged 9, 13, and 17, were struck down with headaches, rashes, fatigue, swollen and tingling faces and muscle cramps.

"I woke up this morning, I was a bit swollen on my face and I had tingling lips and felt nauseous."

When they left the house, symptoms began to disappear, but would flare up when they returned.

Last Friday she realised the symptoms could be related to methamphetamine and alerted property manager Geoff Raggett at The Professionals.

Mr Raggett liaised with landlord Brendan Hudson that night.

"I rang the owner and he said: `I'm not prepared to get the property tested'," Mr Raggett said.

Mr Hudson agreed the family had to move out immediately and ended the tenancy agreement, Mr Raggett said.

He said on Monday Mr Hudson had the "intention of selling" and "still wasn't keen to do the testing".

The Manawatu Standard organised the New Zealand Drug Detection Agency to carry out initial tests, which would cost between $200 to $500. Contamination was found in the kitchen and in one of the daughters' rooms, indicating meth had been used in the house and most likely manufactured.

The results were at least five times higher than the Health Ministry's recommended clean-up level.

The Professionals went out of their way to help Lisa and offered to re-home her family at no cost, principal Max Vertongen said.

The company had also investigated who was responsible for tests in this situation, but there was no clearcut definition.

The Building and Housing Department website said if a tenant suspects the property had been used as a meth lab they should get as much information to prove it, including speaking to the landlord.

If the tenant wants the house decontaminated the landlord should do it.

Mr Vertongen, who spoke on behalf of Mr Hudson, said the owner had stepped up and was prepared to decontaminate the house.

"He is now a welcome participant because it's come back as a positive test."

Lisa and her girls have not slept at the house for the past two nights. Their lounge suite and beds need to be commercially cleaned and everything else in the house wiped down.

- © Fairfax NZ News