With the growing use of ice comes an increase in ice-related crimes, including domestic violence. When a user is badly affected by ice, they may suffer from paranoia, fear and anxiety and the feeling that ‘everyone is out to get me’ which can then lead to paranoia-fuelled aggressive or violent behaviour.
Queensland Police recently released their annual crime statistics that show a disturbing increase in levels of violence as a result of meth use. Police are attending an average of 200 domestic violence calls per day and police bosses say that the higher numbers may well be an indication of the increased use of ice in the state.
Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said ice had an “insidious” effect across the whole of society. Read the full story here.
It’s unlikely that the perpetrators of domestic violence offences became violent after just a few uses of ice. To get to where they are losing touch with reality and begin attacking those who are nearest-and-dearest to them didn’t happen overnight. It’s usually a protracted process over weeks or months that gets them to this point where they lash out at their family.
But often the signs will be developing over the time where the person goes from occasional recreational use, to needing regular ‘fixes’ as their addiction takes hold.
As a landlord, would you have any idea that your tenant is going down the path from regular Mr Good Guy who looks after your property and always pays his rent on time, to become the ‘Tenant From Hell’ who begins using his rent money to pay for his newly acquired drug addiction, moving to other crimes to help pay for his growing $500 or $800 a day drug habit, to finally agreeing to cook batches of meth in your garage to pay for his increasing drug debt. Along with this comes the cases of ice-fuelled domestic violence and property damage as a result of drug-induced rages.
This does happen and without realising, you have just become another victim of the increasing ice scourge across Australia.
How do I protect my rental property from ice contamination?
After discovering that 70% of rental properties in just one area were contaminated by meth, a private investigation and meth testing company have determined that only routine testing by landlords and property managers is going to curb the damage to property caused by the use of this drug.
Regular testing of your rental properties for meth will allow you to determine not only the ‘health’ of your investment properties but also the ‘health’ of your tenants. Not their physical health but the health of having them as tenants. Are they truly looking after your investment or are they gradually destroying it by smoking or cooking ice in your kitchen or garage?
Regular testing of investment properties throughout the tenancy will not only serve as a deterrent against tenants using or cooking meth indoors, but also allows you to monitor the ‘health’ of the occupants as long-term tenants. Getting behind in their rent is an obvious warning sign, but the damage may have already started as they contaminate walls, carpets, curtains and appliances with the toxic chemicals given off from smoking or cooking ice.
Testing can now be carried out simply and inexpensively with Narcotect D4D PenTest kits which gives you results in seconds for traces of meth, cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine, opiates and other common drugs including several pre-cursor chemicals used in the manufacture of meth.
No other product allows testing for this range of illicit drugs using a single swab sample.
Properties should be tested before tenants move in, to ensure that the property is clean, and when they move out at the very minimum. This way the tenant can be charged for the clean-up. However, ongoing testing will act as a deterrent and ensure that, should your tenants wish to engage in drug use, at least they are not be destroying your investment in the process.
Don’t risk your valuable investment. Include ‘meth testing’ clauses in your Tenancy Agreement and conduct tests during scheduled inspections. Or, if you engage a Property Manager to look after your properties, request that they include testing for ice in their inspections. Remember, you’re paying them to protect you and your investment from damage by tenants.
Narcotect D4D PenTest surface test kits are available from our online shop as singles, boxes of 10 or, if you will conduct regular testing, in a handy, hard-wearing, refillable carry case.
