Real Estate Authority Updates Methamphetamine Disclosure Guidance for 2026

Under the REA's Code of Conduct, methamphetamine contamination at or above 15 micrograms per 100 square centimetres is treated as a property defect that must be disclosed to prospective buyers. Test results below that threshold generally do not require disclosure unless a buyer specifically asks or has demonstrated a clear interest in methamphetamine contamination. The threshold reflects the findings of the Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor, which found no evidence of adverse health effects from third-hand exposure to methamphetamine residue below 15μg per 100cm².

The updated guidance aligns the REA's disclosure framework with the Residential Tenancies (Managing Methamphetamine Contamination) Regulations 2026, which introduced new obligations for landlords managing contamination in rental properties. While the 15μg disclosure threshold for property sales remains in place, the broader regulatory context has shifted. Landlords now face specific contamination management duties, and the interaction between tenancy law and real estate disclosure law has become more tightly defined — making it more important than ever for buyers and sellers to understand where they stand before a transaction settles.

If you are purchasing a property, you have the right to ask about methamphetamine contamination history. Where contamination has been disclosed, suspected, or identified as a potential risk, obtaining independent pre-purchase testing before settlement can protect your position. A pre-purchase meth screen documents the property's condition before liability transfers to you — giving you the evidence to renegotiate, require remediation, or walk away with your deposit intact.

Real estate licensees must disclose known contamination at or above 15μg per 100cm². Failure to disclose can result in complaints to the Real Estate Agents Disciplinary Tribunal. Sellers who are aware of contamination — or who suspect it based on a property's tenancy history — should consider pre-listing screening to document the property's condition before going to market. A clean baseline result can be a selling point; a positive result gives you the opportunity to remediate on your own terms rather than under buyer pressure.

EnviroCheck provides methamphetamine property testing and contamination assessment services in Hamilton, Waikato, Auckland, Tauranga and other areas of New Zealand. Because EnviroCheck does not perform remediation, our findings carry no financial incentive — the report answers to you, not to a remediation invoice. Every assessment is conducted to NZS 8510:2017 using NIOSH Method 9111 sampling, the standard recognised by the Tenancy Tribunal and insurers.