Former tenant ordered to pay $100,000 for Auckland meth lab contamination
Friday 9 October 2026 · 3 outlets · 2 reports · updated In this story Tenancy Tribunal
The Tenancy Tribunal has ordered Han Jiang to pay her landlord $100,000 following the use of an Auckland rental as a large-scale methamphetamine lab. The property required five decontamination processes and a complete interior refurbishment. The Tribunal noted that the methamphetamine levels recorded at the site were the highest it had seen.
Key facts
6 facts
- Han Jiang and Jiehong Ru were jailed for three years for methamphetamine manufacture.
- The police raid occurred in late May 2024.
- The highest recorded meth level was 3360 micrograms per 100cm2.
- The Tenancy Tribunal's maximum order amount is $100,000.
- Police found $124,835 in cash at the property.
- The property is located in Totara Park, Auckland.
The full story
1 min read · 2 outlets
A former tenant has been ordered by the Tenancy Tribunal to pay $100,000 after using an Auckland rental as a large-scale methamphetamine laboratory. The decision follows the discovery of a clandestine lab during a police raid in May 2024. Han Jiang, who was jailed for three years for her role in the manufacturing, did not attend the hearing despite arrangements for her to appear via audio-video link.
The property in Totara Park was found to have methamphetamine contamination levels of 3360 micrograms per 100cm2, which the Tribunal stated was the highest it had seen. The landlord, a large property management firm, claimed total losses of $163,374.55, including costs for testing, decontamination, repairs, lost rent, and power bills. Because the Tribunal cannot order payments exceeding $100,000, the landlord accepted the maximum allowable sum.
The house required five rounds of decontamination and extensive refurbishment to meet safety standards. Following the raid, the landlord replaced kitchen benchtops, appliances, light fittings, ventilation systems, and soft furnishings such as carpets and curtains. Despite these efforts, the property faced difficulty being relet due to the stigma of being a ''meth house'.
How it developed
- Fri 9 Oct, 5:43pmThe property required five rounds of decontamination and the landlord is a large property management firm.
Where reports differ
- Report 1 states the property was relet in November 2025, while Report 2 notes the landlord had completed repairs by November 18, 2024.
Compiled from reports by 1News and NZ Herald.