Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.
Written by:
Jeffrey Johnson
Insurance Lawyer
Jeffrey Johnson is a legal writer with a focus on personal injury. He has worked on personal injury and sovereign immunity litigation in addition to experience in family, estate, and criminal law. He earned a J.D. from the University of Baltimore and has worked in legal offices and non-profits in Maryland, Texas, and North Carolina. He has also earned an MFA in screenwriting from Chapman Univer...
Reviewed by:
Mary Martin
Published Legal Expert
Mary Martin has been a legal writer and editor for over 20 years, responsible for ensuring that content is straightforward, correct, and helpful for the consumer. In addition, she worked on writing monthly newsletter columns for media, lawyers, and consumers. Ms. Martin also has experience with internal staff and HR operations. Mary was employed for almost 30 years by the nationwide legal publi...
UPDATED: Jul 16, 2021
Advertiser Disclosure
We strive to help you make confident insurance and legal decisions. Finding trusted and reliable insurance quotes and legal advice should be easy. This doesn’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own.
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about legal topics and insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything legal and insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by experts.
What if your dream house turns out to be a nightmare?
What if the reason you got a “deal” on a property is that it was previously used as a meth lab, or by meth users?
As reported by NPR, smoking methamphetamine can cause dangerous chemicals to be released into the air. These chemicals can get into carpets, drapes, and walls and cause health problems.
The health risks of living in a meth house include:
Long-term health risks – especially for children – are unclear.
Indiana leads the country in meth lab seizures, with more than 11,000 labs busted since 2007. All of those homes may be contaminated.
Contaminated homes in Indiana are listed on a public online database – however, the list only includes the known meth labs.
Nationwide, the Drug Enforcement Agency also maintains a list of known meth labs.
However, those lists don’t protect people who buy homes where labs weren’t discovered, or where previous residents only used (rather than made) meth.
Get exclusive expert advice! Find the best deals, lower your bills, get out of debt, and gain financial freedom. 100% free insider tips sent directly to your inbox. Let us help you save money today!
GDPR Complaint: Email Addresses Never Shared
In Indiana, a new law would require sellers to disclose whether a property was a meth lab, just as sellers must now disclose health hazards like lead paint and asbestos insulation.
About half of US states have similar laws. A list of state drug lab remediation laws can be found here.
The Indiana law would also require a person who runs a meth lab on property owned by another to pay restitution to the property owner for the costs of decontamination and lost rent.
Of course, not all sellers may be aware of this disclosure requirement – and may not comply with it if they are.
Buyers can protect themselves by using a home inspection service that checks for meth contamination, or by arranging a special test. Such tests can cost as little as $50 but can also cost significantly more.
Some signs that a house may have been used as a meth lab include:
Sellers may try to cover up meth-related stains by repainting, but this will not remove the contamination.
Buyers can also check with local police and talk to the neighbors, to find out whether there was any suspicious activity or there were any arrests associated with the property.
Decontaminating a meth house can cost tens of thousands of dollars. If a buyer discovers a house is contaminated but still wants to go through with the purchase, the cost of decontamination could be negotiated as a discount from the sales price.
If you unknowingly bought a contaminated home, you may wish to consult a real estate attorney in your area about your potential remedies.
However, it may be very difficult to recover compensation. If the unit was a rental, the owner may not have been aware of the meth use by tenants. If the prior owner was a meth user – and especially if the property was sold “as-is” after foreclosure, there may not be anyone to collect damages from.
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption