New analysis of three years of residential methamphetamine testing data suggests that meth contamination remains a persistent and structural housing risk in New Zealand, rather than a short-term or region-specific issue.

Percentage-based analysis of national testing data from Safe & Healthy Home Solutions shows that approximately half of all properties tested between 2023 and 2025 recorded detectable meth residue — a proportion that has remained largely unchanged over time.

According to the analysis, this stability persists despite changes in public awareness, testing practices, and drug policy settings, indicating that contamination risk is driven by longer-term housing and behavioural factors rather than isolated spikes in activity.

“What stands out in the data is not a sudden increase or decrease, but how consistent the percentages remain,” says Miles Stratford, Managing Director at Safe & Healthy Home Solutions. “That consistency tells us meth contamination is now embedded in parts of the housing system, particularly where screening happens late or only on suspicion.”

Testing patterns reflect perceived risk

The analysis highlights that regions with higher routine screening volumes tend to show lower and more stable contamination percentages, while areas with limited testing often report much higher affected rates.

This does not necessarily indicate higher meth use. Instead, it reflects how and when properties are tested. Where screening occurs mainly after concerns arise — such as behavioural issues or transaction uncertainty — the proportion of positive results increases.

By contrast, areas where meth screening is embedded into due diligence or portfolio-wide processes produce results that better reflect background contamination levels rather than worst-case scenarios.

Late detection increases severity

While meth presence is widespread, the data show that the likelihood of contamination exceeding health-based thresholds rises when detection is delayed across multiple tenancies.

In regions with consistently low routine testing, properties with moderate overall contamination rates still record higher than-average exceedance once contamination is identified. This reflects how unmanaged residue can accumulate over time, increasing exposure risk before intervention occurs.

“Early screening doesn’t increase risk — it reduces uncertainty,” says Stratford. “When contamination is found earlier, it is less likely to have escalated to higher concentrations that require more complex remediation.”

A long-term housing issue

The consistency of contamination percentages over multiple years suggests that meth residue in housing is now a long term management issue rather than a transient problem.

The analysis concludes that systematic screening provides clearer and reduced risk profiles than reactive testing alone, supporting improved compliance, valuation, and tenant protection outcomes.

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