Survey reveals investors still worried about meth contamination

More than half of investors would still seek a methamphetamine test before purchasing. Photo / File

More than half of property investors would still seek a methamphetamine test despite the Prime Minister's science advisor saying he couldn't see the point of them.

According to Crockers Property's latest Investment Index, 58 per cent of property investors said they would ask for a methamphetamine test before purchasing a new rental property.

This was down 13 per cent, however, from August 2016 when the same survey was carried out.

In May this year, a report released by the Prime Minister's Chief Science Adviser Sir Peter Gluckman said there was no evidence that third-hand exposure from methamphetamine smoking causes adverse health effects.

Gluckman said he could not see the point in testing homes, saying people were more at risk from mould in their home than they were from methamphetamine contamination.

"In terms of the housing estate, mould is far more dangerous that meth," Gluckman told the Herald.

Andrew King, NZ Property Investors Federation executive officer, said the issue generally had resulted in people having huge fears about property contamination yet their health was not necessarily endangered if meth had only been used but not manufactured.

Fears about property meth contamination had caused many people much anxiety, disruption and money, King said.

King went on to say that the expensive process of remediating properties did not necessarily result in any real benefits to residents' or tenants' health for the less-risky properties.

According to the survey, landlords were less inclined to pay for a methamphetamine test on an existing property, with only 39 per cent saying they would.

This was down on the 47 per cent who said they would in August 2016.

Of the 39 per cent of landlords who would pay for the test, 4 per cent said they would be prepared to do it every six months, 14 per cent said they would do it yearly and 21 per cent said they would do it every two years.