‘Thought it was mould’: Silent rental horror making kids sick

Families could be unknowingly moving into Queensland rental homes contaminated with methamphetamine residue because there is no legal requirement for landlords to disclose a property’s history to prospective tenants. That’s the warning from Queensland meth decontamination specialist Steve Annells, who says he is called to about two contaminated homes every week and believes many more are slipping through the cracks. MORE: Brisbane sellers flood the market as homeowners race to beat further price falls PropTrack Home Price Index: Aus property prices fall for fourth month Steve Annells, from Dunrite Decon, is cleaning a meth-infected rental property in Waterford. Picture: Nigel Hallett. Mr Annells, who has specialised in meth decontamination since 2018, said almost every contaminated property he entered had one heartbreaking thing in common. “Ninety-eight per cent have children’s clothes or toys,” he said. “The hardest jobs are when there are kids living there. They’re the vulnerable ones.” One family contacted Mr Annells believing mould was making their son sick. Instead, testing revealed meth contamination throughout the home. “Their 10-year-old had sores over his whole body. His s...