Q & A

Q What is the approximate cost of decontaminating a P-Lab?
A Costs range from a few thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars, some properties are beyond repair & are demolished. It depends on many factors, how long the P-Lab has been operating, whether or not fire results from its operation, etc. More>>

Q Doesn’t my insurance cover the decontamination costs?
A Whilst you may be covered for some damages many policies will not cover illegal activity. Some policies may cover you from loss of existing rental income but no insurance will cover the loss of property value or assist with the difficulty of future letting out an ex P-lab. We recommend you check your policy documentation. Only Meth Minder offers a proactive deterrent solution.

Q What does Meth Minder cost per month?
A Monitoring starts at $49.95 per month. ($11.53 per week) See full pricing here. All prices include gst

Q Are my Meth Minder payments tax deductable?
A Yes, you can claim the monitoring costs as you would your rates and insurance.

Q How is my property value affected?
A The police notify council and your Land Information Memorandum (LIM) is amended to record the P- Lab. Even if neighbors simply suspected a property was an ex P-lab, they frequently inform new tenants or prospective owners. This has been known to decimate the value of a property and made it difficult to sell, insure, obtain or hold tenants.

Q Will my tenants think I distrust them if I install a Meth Minder?
A Your tenants should appreciate that you are willing to protect your investment and their home. Future tenants will have confidence that they are not being exposed to an environmental hazard left from the previous tenant. Coercion of tenants and owners to use their properties to manufacture meth is becoming more common, installing a Meth Minder protects everyone.

Q Can I install a Meth Minder in a house that has already been contaminated?
A Yes.

Q Is the Meth Minder device covert (hidden) from view?
A No, the Meth Minder device is overt (in view) to all. In this way, because of its efficient detection capabilities it operates as a very effective deterrent to the manufacture of Meth. Prevention is always the best outcome.

Q What happens if someone tampers with theMeth Minder ?
A The Meth Minder alarm-monitoring centre is immediately notified if the device is tampered with and contact is then made with the property owner or representative to discuss the issue. If required, personnel can be dispatched to the address to investigate.

Q What if the power goes off?
A The power supply to the house does not affect Meth Minder, as it is operated by a long life battery, which will give many years of operation under normal operating circumstances.

Q What if the battery goes flat?
A Meth Minder continuously monitors itself and its environment and sends information back to the control center where it is logged. The control center will contact you if the battery needs replacing .

Q Does Meth Minder need a phone line at the premises to operate?
A No, Meth Minder is a completely stand alone self contained solution that communicates using a high gain antenna via the Vodafone national network. Even the weakest cell phone coverage will enable Meth Minder to operate at your property.

Q What happens if I sell my rental property?
A You can assign the monitoring to the new owner, arrange to have the unit transferred to another location or cancel the contract subject to an early termination fee if applicable.

Q What is Meth?
A Meth, also known as P is a very powerful synthetic drug that affects the central nervous system. It is a highly addictive and destructive drug whose negative reach into society is unparalleled. Meth causes users to abandon social norms, which often leads to catastrophic loss of life property and family.

Meth is simple to make from commonly available ingredients, a batch can be manufactured within hours. However the manufacturing process, called cooking results in extremely toxic gases and persistent compounds being released. These remain within a property after the cooking has finished and are extremely hard and costly to remove. The Auckland District Health Board state that ‘no decontamination procedure can guarantee absolute safety’ for re-occupancy.

Q Why is Meth called ‘P’ in NZ ?
A ‘P’ is the common street name in NZ. It stands for pure Meth in its crystallized form. It is also known by many other names such as crystal meth, ice, etc.

Q What should I do if I have discovered a P Lab in my rental property?
A Call the authorities. The people associated with P labs and the chemicals associated with them are very dangerous and volatile.
Please click here to view the (EH) Environmental Health, Advice document.