Don't Buy a Meth Lab!

I know that sounds silly, but it's easier than you'd think to unknowingly purchase (or rent) a former meth lab and once you do, you're stuck with the expense of fixing any problems that remain. CNN recently explained:

Many of these labs are in houses that eventually get sold to unsuspecting buyers who have no idea that the home's surfaces, insulation and carpeting may be steeped in poisonous substances.
 
Unlike lead paint, there are no federal rules that require sellers or their agents to disclose a home's meth history. Instead, disclosure regulations are made by the individual states and can vary dramatically.

In Tennessee, our Department of Health advises:

Before you purchase a property, you can check TDEC’s Registry of Contaminated Properties or TBI’s Meth Offender Registry Database to see if there are any criminal meth lab connections to the property. Also, it may be helpful to talk with nearby residents who may know about past activities at the property you are considering to purchase.

In addition to their advice about how to spot a former meth lab, CNN also shares the stories of people who discovered after moving into homes that they were contaminated. Here is the distribution of known meth labs throughout the country (click on the image to zoom in):