Residents
Owners
As a landlord there are many concerns that you may have about the tenants renting from you. More often the news is reporting stories on meth labs and how the landlord had no idea their property could have contained one. Landlords need to become educated on this serious matter because it could result in physical danger as well as a huge financial burden.
What is a Meth Lab?
“Meth” is short of methamphetamine, an addictive drug that is cooked in a type of lab. Many tenants renting can do this right in their kitchen because it’s easy to make, inexpensive to produce but results in easy money, and can be easily moved from one property to another. This illegal activity can contaminate a unit, and those living in the unit will suffer health effects such as nausea, fatigue, respiratory issues, headaches, chest paint, kidney damage, skin burns, and in some cases death.
How to determine if there is a Meth Lab
Cleanup after discovering a meth lab is very expensive. The government will get involved by monitoring the cleaning process and will take a long time to give a clean bill of health indicating the landlord may begin renting it out again. During that time, the landlord can’t rent it out either. Landlords need to be aware of the signs of a meth lab.
Landlords should inspect properties and be aware of stained concrete or soil, empty containers from chemicals, dead grass from chemicals being disposed of, and equipment set out such as duct tape, glass containers, propane tasks or respiratory masks.
Other clues would be the presence of sulfuric acid, paint thinner, and ammonia. If any neighbors have complained of chemical odors or skin irritations, take it seriously as that could indicate a potential meth lab.
If you are a landlord and are suspicious of a meth lab, be sure to inspect the unit and contact authorities. In the future, you can do strict screenings of potential tenants such as a background check and calling references.
