Your House Could've Been a Meth Lab If ...

By Patch Chicago

This house smells like pee. Why are the windows all covered with paint? What’s with all the dead spots in the yard? If you’re house hunting, those could be telltale signs the property you’re looking at was a meth lab.

In 2012, the Drug Enforcement Association uncovered 11,210 methamphetamine labs across the country.

Fortunately, many government agencies are on the lookout for these toxic homes. The Illinois Attorney General’s office compiled a list of what you might see at a former meth lab.

• Unusual odors such as urine, ammonia, or rotten eggs could indicate meth production. These odors may stick around even after the producers have vacated.
• Meth producers may cover windows to keep outsiders from being able to see in. The windows may be blackened with paint.
• Strange ventilation systems allow those producing meth to get rid of the toxic fumes production creates. They may also have “home-made” fans or furnace blowers.
• Meth producers will also have elaborate security measures, such as multiple “keep out” signs, guard dogs, or cameras around the property.
• Dumping toxic substances in the yard may cause dead vegetation, with brown or black grass in patches across the lawn.

Meth labs don’t just leave a house looking and smelling like a mess, however. Production of the illicit drug involves cooking with solvents, metals, salts, corrosives, even explosives, that will leave toxic waste residue in the house.

If you believe a property might have been a meth lab, you can cross reference with this national register of busted meth labs. You should contact your local health officials if you suspect your home was previously used for meth production.