Tony Mitchell: Residential Property Managers' Association Chair on the incoming meth contamination laws

It's thought there are fundamental issues with the new methamphetamine contamination laws. 

Properties with meth residue exceeding 15 micrograms per 100-square centimetres will be considered contaminated and require treatment.  

Landlords and tenants will be able to quickly end tenancies with excessive levels. 

Residential Property Managers Association Chair Tony Mitchell told Mike Hosking it's great to have clarity, but it's out of step with the rest of the world.   

He says we shouldn't be accepting any meth in properties, and we now don't have the ability to enforce a zero-tolerance policy.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
For landlords. We've got some clarity around meth testing. The
government to set some new limits. Fifteen micrograms or more
for one hundred square meters will be flagged. If levels
at thirty micrograms, the tenants can give two days notice
to leave and the landlords have seven days to end
the tendency if they want so. Tony Mitchell is the
Residential Property Managers Association Chair and as with us, Tony, Morning.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Morning, Mike.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
How big a deal is this?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Well, I guess it's good and bad. It's great that
we've got clarity and there's levels set where I guess
termination can be achieved and also clean down levels. But
it is out of step with what the scene and
the rest of the world. And look, I don't know
of any landlords who really want meth used in their properties,
and last time I checked, it's still an illegal a

(00:45):
class drug.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
Indeed, does this land more towards the landlord or more
towards the tenant?

Speaker 2 (00:52):
The it gives, well, I guess the landlord. Once you've
got a myth problem. It then lessens the burden of
of cleanup and also lessens the insurance costs as well,
so it favors I guess that the landlord once you've
actually got a measurement, but that's not really for me.

(01:14):
The issue. The issue is is that we shouldn't be
accepting that we have meth levels in properties and we
now don't have the ability to enforce a zero tolerance
policy within a tendency agreement because a tenant can use
up to thirty micrograms, as you mentioned, so.

Speaker 1 (01:34):
If it comes in at say fourteen, you can go, yeah,
so it's fourteen, So there's nothing that you can't touch me.
So there's something fundamentally wrong with that, doesn't it.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
Well yeah, I mean, but look, I guess good standards
would be, you know, you should be declared and disclosing
that to any new tenant. And even if you and
even if you take it a tendency tribunal, Unfortunately, it's
unlikely that the tendency tribunal would enforce the termination. Now, look,
you still have no days, no cause, but that might

(02:02):
only be in as long as nationals in.

Speaker 1 (02:06):
Or do these things fall between stools because when you
talk about the tendency tribunal, when you talk about the
legality of meth full stop and involving the police and
the law when you're talking about the role of a landlord.
They're all sort of different things, aren't they.

Speaker 2 (02:20):
Yes, there are. There's quite a few different things at
play here. Look, I think for public housing it's actually
it's a clarity and it will allow a lot more
I guess flexibility or certainty around the public housing. But again,
no tenant in the private sector would want to rent

(02:40):
a house, or not many that I know of anyway,
would want to rent a house that's got a myth level.

Speaker 1 (02:45):
Yeah, well I got you give us a read. Rents
it down renter's market, I take it at the moment.

Speaker 2 (02:49):
Still yep, yep, So it is still I have seen
various uplifts but on certain weeks. But look, it's still
a renter's market.

Speaker 1 (02:59):
And mom and Dad and vest as I'm told with
the stats this week, are starting to get back into
the market. So that presumably means what pressure goes on rents.

Speaker 2 (03:08):
Well, you might have more properties on the market. I
don't think pressure will go on rents because of that.
But that the problem is is with this new regulation.
I mean, if you're a private investor, will you want
to actually put your money into a rental property where
there could be Mathews.

Speaker 1 (03:24):
It's a good point, Tony, have a good week. I
appreciate it very much. Tony Mitchell, who's the Residential Property
Managers Association.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
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