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Managing methamphetamine contamination in our homes

The health and wellbeing of our customers, staff and contractors is at the heart of our approach to managing methamphetamine contamination in our homes.

New regulations for methamphetamine contamination in rental properties

Kāinga Ora has updated how we manage situations where methamphetamine (meth) contamination is found in our homes to align with new Government regulations.

We already decontaminate homes until testing confirms methamphetamine levels are 15 micrograms per 100cm² or below, which meets safety standards. Under the updated regulations, only the affected rooms or areas need to be decontaminated if levels exceed the standard, rather than an entire house. This targeted approach allows homes to be made safe more quickly, and helps return properties to people in urgent need of housing sooner.

When appropriate, we may now establish a baseline meth test for a property. This helps provide certainty about contamination levels over time and ensures fairness for both tenants and Kāinga Ora.

As a firm but fair landlord, Kāinga Ora will continue to treat methamphetamine use as a health and wellbeing issue and work with tenants to connect them with appropriate support services. However, there will be consequences for instances of repeated meth contamination of a tenancy and in serious cases, a tenant will not be rehoused in another Kāinga Ora home. Any evidence of manufacture or supply will be referred to Police.

Further detail on the regulations

A health-based approach

Like other landlords, Kāinga Ora is faced with the issue of methamphetamine (meth) contamination in some of our homes. We take this very seriously. We also realise that meth use is first and foremost a health and addiction issue and that it can impact all members of a household, including children.

For that reason, we have adopted a health-based approach to managing meth which places top priority on ensuring people and whānau are living well in our homes.

If our tenant is concerned about the health and wellbeing of those in their household, and suspects possible methamphetamine contamination, we will arrange for testing of the property. We’ll also ensure the tenants remains in safe and secure housing as we work through a testing and decontamination process.

We do not permit meth manufacture or supply in the homes we manage, and Kāinga Ora will refer any evidence of manufacture or supply to Police.

We will also ensure that our tenants have information about how and where they can get support and access to drug addiction services.

Meth testing and decontamination

When we become aware of suspected meth contamination at a property, and have reasonable grounds to believe this to be true, we will follow a strict process to undertake testing, and decontamination if required.

Where test results confirm meth contamination above 15 µg/100 cm2 for methamphetamine use, this will trigger the need for decontamination of affected areas at the property.

We work with experienced and skilled contractors who specialise in meth decontamination.

Meth thresholds

On 29 May 2018, the Prime Minister's then-Chief Science Advisor released a report titled ‘Methamphetamine contamination in residential properties: Exposures, risk levels and interpretation of standards’.

The report noted that “exposure to methamphetamine levels below 15 µg/100 cm2 (15 micrograms of methamphetamine per 100 square centimetres of surfaces sampled) would be highly unlikely to give rise to any adverse effects”.

Housing New Zealand (now Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities) incorporated the findings of this report, including these thresholds, into the approach to testing and decontaminating methamphetamine-affected properties.

Page updated: 16 April 2026