There is a provision in the 2026 meth regulations that has had very little coverage in the Auckland property market. It puts a duty directly on you as a landlord, and most of the people it affects have not heard of it.

What regulation 11 says

Regulation 11(1) is permissive. The landlord may carry out the decontamination works specified in regulation 12, or any part of those works. Or the landlord may engage any other person to carry out those works.

Regulation 11(2) is where the obligation sits. The landlord must ensure that any person they engage to carry out all or part of the decontamination works is independent of two categories of people.

The first is any person who carries out testing for methamphetamine in the premises under regulation 9, or post-decontamination testing of the premises under regulation 13.

The second is any person who was paid to carry out the screening assessment for the premises in accordance with regulation 8.

Source: Regulations 2026, regulation 11(1) and 11(2).

Read the wording again, because it matters. The duty is on the landlord. Not on the testing company. Not on the decontamination contractor. You.

It runs in both directions

Regulation 9(3)(d) applies the independence requirements in Appendix A1.2 of NZS 8510:2017 to the accredited sampler, in respect of any person carrying out decontamination works for the premises under regulation 11.

So the person who tests must be independent of the person who cleans, and the person you engage to clean must be independent of the person who tested.

Source: Regulations 2026, regulation 9(3)(d).

Why this is awkward for a lot of existing arrangements

Meth testing in New Zealand has a long history of referral relationships. A tester finds contamination and recommends a cleanup company. Sometimes those businesses share owners. Sometimes there is a commission. Often it is just a long standing informal arrangement that nobody has examined.

Under the 2026 Regulations, if you engage a decontamination contractor who is not independent of your tester, you are the one who has failed to meet a requirement. The consequence does not land on the businesses that put you in that position.

Two questions to ask any provider

Do you have any financial or ownership relationship with the company you would refer me to for decontamination?

Will you put that answer in writing?

A provider who cannot answer both of those cleanly is a provider who is creating exposure for you.

Two related corrections while we are here

Regulation 12(2)(e) removes the carpet requirements in section 4.3.2 of the standard. Instead, where carpets and other soft furnishings such as curtains are provided by the landlord as part of the tenancy agreement, are capable of being cleaned, and are to remain in the property, they must be vacuumed with a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner and then steam cleaned.

Source: Regulations 2026, regulation 12(2)(e).

Regulation 13(3)(b) removes the requirement for a clearance report and clearance certificate under section 5.6 of the standard. What is required instead, under regulation 13(1), is post-decontamination testing carried out in accordance with regulation 13(2), which shows that the premises are no longer contaminated by methamphetamine.

If a provider tells you a clearance certificate is legally required, they are describing the old standard rather than the current Regulations.

Source: Regulations 2026, regulation 13(1), 13(2) and 13(3)(b).

Where we stand

NZ Healthy Homes has operated independently since 2016. We are not aligned with any meth or asbestos decontamination company. We take no referral commission and we never have.

That was a decision made a decade before the Regulations required it, and I am happy to put it in writing for anyone who asks.

Steve Hegh, NZ Healthy Homes. 021 132 4577.

This article is general information about New Zealand tenancy law as at August 2026. It is not legal advice.

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