When home inspector Michael Munn, chief operating officer of BiltRite, enters a home, his first act is to shut every door and window.
He then gives the house a sniff test, searching for a very distinct smell.
Munn is on the hunt and his prey — a former meth house.
“I’m not there to help pick out paint colors with the future owners,” Munn recently told members of the Women’s Council of Realtors. “My job in the house is to find the problems and help with a possible solution.”
With nearly 15 years in the industry, Munn knows a strong smell similar to cat urine usually means more than a cat-loving previous owner.
When he sees items left behind like lighter fluid, stripped-out batteries and empty two-liter bottles, he knows the problems of the home might be much more serious than a bad color scheme.
Such signs are potential red flags of a “meth house,” where the highly toxic drug, methamphetamine, has been manufactured.
While former meth houses make up a small percentage of the inventory available to buyers, they pose a large danger to future homeowners if not cleaned and repaired properly.
The powerful chemicals used in the manufacturing of the drug can seep into the porous surfaces of a house, insulation and even drywall.
That can cause a host of health problems for homeowners, from respiratory illnesses to neurological problems, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“What gets removed when we’ve confirmed a former meth lab?” asked Munn, posing the question to the group of Realtors.
“Everything,” he answered. “We take the house right down to the studs and wiring.”
To remediate homes can cost $5,000 to $10,000 or more, depending on the level of contamination and size of the home. But the house is not a total loss.
“Repairs can be made. We can replace drywall and lay new flooring,” said Munn. “But make sure when your clients are going room to room, figuring out where to put furniture, you’re looking for the signs so no one is blindsided.”
He added, “You need to be the eyes for your clients when they have their blinders on.”
Meth isn’t the only drug creating problems for prospective buyers. Houses where marijuana was grown may be more prone to mold, which poses similar health problems as to meth.
Marijuana grow-house operations can cause damage inside homes due to the moisture from the plants, which create mold and spores in walls, ceilings and floors.
A grow house is essentially a converted greenhouse, so the moist growing conditions are ideal for the spread of mold spores.
“Mold needs two things to survive: food and water,” said Greg Kershner of ServiceMaster Restoration of First Coast. “To mold, a house that was used to grow marijuana is a fancy steak dinner.”
Unlike the 29 states with laws governing meth house clean-up or disclosure, Florida has no statewide decontamination or disclosure regulations before a homeowner sells or rents their home.
Standard home inspections often don’t turn up drug contamination, so real estate agents must ask difficult questions to protect their buyers.
“If you are in doubt about a house, call the police,” recommends Munn. “They can tell you if there was an abnormal amount of calls to the house, which often times, can point to a larger problem.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration maintains the National Clandestine Laboratory Register, a searchable database of addresses that include properties where meth labs have been identified. Visit dea.gov/clan-lab/clan-lab.shtml for more information.