Signs a property was a drug lab
- Strong chemical, ammonia or solvent smells that linger
- Yellow, brown or purple staining on walls, sinks, benches or drains
- Blacked-out or covered windows and extra locks or cameras
- Improvised ventilation, fans or holes in ceilings
- Chemical containers, glassware, tubing, gas bottles or blister packs from cold and flu tablets
- Burn marks, corroded fittings or dead patches in the garden where chemicals were dumped
If you find active equipment or chemicals, leave immediately, do not touch anything, and call the police on 000 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
More detail in signs of a meth house.
What our inspection covers
- A walk-through to identify likely production, storage and disposal areas.
- Surface sampling for methamphetamine in every room, plus ducts, drains and outbuildings where relevant.
- Sampling for precursor chemicals where manufacture is suspected.
- A report mapping results against the national guideline, with photos and recommendations for remediation scope.
After the inspection
Former labs usually need professional remediation, which can range from intensive cleaning to removing plasterboard, carpets and fittings. We do not remediate, so our results stay independent. Once the work is done, validation testing confirms the property is safe to re-occupy.
The growing drug problem in Australia
Drug contamination which is an invisible contaminant has no real odour. It is a very real issue for people buying or renting property and can cost thousands of dollars to remediate. Heavy meth use accounts for majority of contamination issues along with drug labs which are still being detected. A regular drug screen is the solution.
Tackling the issue with drug screening
Drug residue screening establishes the safety and liability risks within a new property before tenants move in or when a sale transaction is completed. A regular meth screen provides a deterrent to drug use and manufacture which can also detect contamination problems early when they are not as costly to fix.
Why choose us?
Our primary focus is sampling properties for drug residue, so we can provide an unbiased assessment of your property. The samples are taken correctly according to industry code of practice & analysis is conducted using an NATA accredited laboratory which enables you to have confidence in the results.
A meth test or meth residue test is useful for
Agents
Property Managers Real Estate Agents Professional Entities
Owners
Property Owners Private Investors Concerned Parents & Tenants
Stakeholders
Insurance Companies Local Councils Housing Providers
A regular drug screen for rental properties is fast becoming best practice in Australia
Regular property inspections to identify maintenance issues are expected by both tenants and landlords these days. Screening for drug residue should be part of this regular routine. Apart from the obvious benefits of detecting residue when levels are low enough to make decontamination relatively easy, the chances of drug use on the property decrease substantially, because tenants know the property will have a drug screen regularly.
Last reviewed October 2026 by the EnviroForce team