While most of us probably wouldn’t (or at least wouldn’t want) to associate our homes with the word “smelly”, it seems like some people might have no choice but to do so.

In particular, the latter has been the case for a family of four living in a five-room Housing Development Board (HDB) flat in Block 724 Pasir Ris Street 72.

According to Mr Yang (Hanyu pinyin), the father of the family, the family has stayed in the unit for over 20 years.

Although they spent over two decades in their home with no issues, the family started to notice a problem in mid-January of 2021 when their upstairs neighbour began renovation work for their unit.

Since then, the Yang family has had to deal with mould on the ceilings and stenches in their house.

Here’s what’s been happening.

Issue Only Started After Upstairs Neighbour Started Renovation Works, Contacted Relevant Authorities About Issue

When speaking to Shin Min Daily News, Mr Yang shared that his family noticed that black spots had begun to form on the ceilings of the master bedroom and master bedroom toilet in May 2021 after the renovation works started in the upstairs neighbour’s unit.

In just a matter of months, the limestone on the ceilings began to peel. It also started turning black and mouldy, as if it was rotten.

When Mr Yang consulted a friend in the renovation industry about it, he was told that the unsightly scene was probably a result of his upstairs neighbour’s failure to carry out proper waterproofing work in their home before moving in.

The friend added that poor waterproofing would have caused the water from upstairs to leak into Mr Yang’s unit.

After the discovery, Mr Yang reported the issue to the relevant authorities.

According to Mr Yang, the authorities deployed personnel to his house to carry out checks and told Mr Yang that they would inform his upstairs neighbour and arrange for a contractor to resolve the issue.

Issue Got Worse Afterwards; Smelly Odour Appeared As Well

However, the problem became increasingly severe afterwards.

A smelly odour started to appear in the toilet due to the humidity in the area, and the stench soon spread to the bedroom and kitchen toilet as well.

Black spots also began to appear on the bedroom ceiling, and the limestone on the ceiling of the kitchen toilet started to peel as well.

Mr Yang and His Wife No Longer Sleep in Master Bedroom or Use the Attached Toilet Due to Unbearable Odour

When speaking to Shin Min, Mr Yang also revealed that he and his wife no longer use the attached toilet in the master bedroom due to the unbearable stench and concerns that the mouldy growth would affect their health.

More recently, he even vacated his master bedroom by moving the mattress in the unit’s master bedroom to the living room in February last year.

He has been sleeping in his living room for around a year since then.

Two Dehumidifiers and Three Air Purifiers Aren’t Enough

As for how the Yang family has been trying to cope with the issue, Mr Yang disclosed that even two dehumidifiers and three air purifiers aren’t enough.

After the mould situation in his house worsened, Mr Yang’s friend gifted him an air purifier, but the odour was still prevalent even after the family used it.

Mr Yang also bought a small dehumidifier after a friend recommended him to do so.

After the small one had a minimal effect on the situation, he ended up buying another large one as well.

He also bought another two air purifiers and spent $1,000 in total. However, the mould situation has yet to improve substantially.

Mr Yang added that the dehumidifiers in his home hold around two litres of water each, but they get filled up extremely quickly.

In particular, he and his family have to empty the water in the dehumidifiers every three to four hours.

Spent $500 on Renovation Works, But Mould Reappeared Half a Year

Mr Yang also pointed out that he spent $500 last September after hiring a contractor to redo the ceiling in his house, but spots of mould started appearing on the ceiling again after half a year.

When the contractor returned to the house to check on the ceiling, he told Mr Yang that the water leakage problem in his ceiling still exists and that repair work would be useless.

Mr Yang then expressed that he is now at his wit’s end.

Apart from the odour, he also said that he fears that the ceiling will collapse on him and his family.

As for how Mr Yang has tried to solve the issue with his neighbour, you might be surprised by his actions thus far.

Despite the prevalent mould issue, Mr Yang admitted that he has never tried to approach his neighbour over the past two years to discuss the issue.

However, the neighbour mentioned that they would let the contractor settle the problem when Mr Yang bumped into the neighbour by chance.

When Shin Min reporters visited his upstairs neighbour on Monday (20 February), a lady answered the door and said that she was aware of the issue.

However, she declined to comment on the issue and said that it has already been handed over to the authorities.