Editorial: Toxic houses register needed

It's important you know the history of your family home. Photo/Thinkstock

It's not uncommon for tenants to find the home they are renting has some undisclosed faults. The taps may leak. The shower may run too hot. It may be damp and not insulated.

These pale in comparison to finding out you have been living in a house contaminated by methamphetamine.

That was the case for the Steenson family who spoke out this week after their 4-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia. The family suspects their living environment may have played a part in their daughter's illness.

Her father, Trent Steenson, learned the house had been raided in 2011 and the people there charged with methamphetamine offences. Preliminary testing of the house revealed there was a high level of the drug still present.

Tauranga medical oncologist Richard North says it is unlikely, but not impossible, that the girl's cancer is linked to methamphetamine contamination.

The property manager says neither she nor the owners of the property were aware the house had methamphetamine contamination.

She says the owners were never told of any police raid on the property and they were talking to police to establish what had happened.

This case raises serious questions about the recording of properties contaminated with the toxic chemicals associated with methamphetamine. Surely, given the possible health risks, these homes should placed on a national register. Potential property owners and tenants should be informed about a property's status before they decide to purchase or rent a home.