Singapore Expats

Hi, I just wanted to hear some opinions on my current situation. I'm renting a room in a small 3 room HDB flat, that's located smack in the middle of two young families. One local chinese family on my right, and a foreign indian family on my left, with a total of 4 children under the age of 6.

The kids from the chinese family play in the day, and thats normal, but their level of noise sometimes can get pretty insane. They leave their front door open in the daytime and since my room window faces the corridor and I hear EVERYTHING. It all starts about 7am, when the parents leave the house and the grandparents, who live a few floors below come up to supervise. First is the auntie's screechy voice, reprimanding the maid and the children, then the kids start to scream and shout, run down the hallway, thud thud thud AAAAAAHHHHH WAAAAHHHH thats all I'm hearing all day long. The grandparents fight sometimes too, and when the parents get home, all I hear is more shouting, which makes the children cry more, and the story goes on...

The indian family on the left make considerable noise for what is pretty much two people during the day, mother and child. Techno music playing loud and repetitively on the same songs, very pitchy screams, but the problem really lies when they invite people over, which seems to be a weekly thing, and they have more children in the house, to where the noise levels go from bad to worse. TODAY is particularly intolerable, with BOTH families shrieking, which is why I need some advice.

All they tell me when I speak to them is that "They are children, what to do ah?" Frankly, I think they as parents should do their job by keeping the noise levels considerate to the other people living around them! I'm not too sensitive, I can tolerate a great deal of noise and carry on with my day, but being a student doing most of my work from home in the day, constant crying and shrieking and scolding and arguing do take it's toll and it gets me DEPRESSED and stressed more than anything, it's an emotional thing, not just the noise. I'll take drilling and hammering over this any day. And I did deal with that for the first 3 months of moving here when they were upgrading the building. I've been here for 9 months now. My finals are coming up, I'm really at a loss now.

Get a job so you work during the day. That way you don't hear it. Otherwise, welcome the to world of HDB. Not too much you can do about it. Believe me!

Try reporting the issue to your neighbourhood police, they often handle such complaints!

meanbean wrote:Try reporting the issue to your neighbourhood police, they often handle such complaints!

Actually, they don't if they can help it. Not unless it gets physical. I know, I'm a member of our residents committee and a regular of the Citizens on Patrol who do the evening rounds with several member of the local constabulary.

Thanks for the replies. But I can't get a job as I'm studying full time. Sigh. I just tend to do my work in the night when I can get some peace and quiet!

Probably the best you can do is move elsewhere, now that you know your sensitivities and what to look out for. condos are generally quieter and more private than HDB. That (among other reasons) is why they cost more.

beppi wrote:Condos are generally quieter and more private than HDB.

I disagree. In my corner I have across the hall a music teacher who has a constant stream of piano students and next to me I had a kid going through (I'm assuming here) the terrible two's (I'm sure I've posted about that one before). The 2 year old used to sit at the security gate and scream his lungs out and the piano teacher always has her front door open. The only way I could get any peace and quiet is to close my front door and turn on the a/c.

All I wanted them to do was to close their front doors and keep the noise in their apartments, but was not sure how they would react. Fortunately for me the piano teacher has opened up a shop and now only teaches 2 days a week at home and the screaming kid has grown (shut) up.

If it is so bad, why don't you try your friendly neighbourhood mac.

Seriously, there are other options such as Library, void deck, community centre, etc. Not as comfortable, convenient, but they are at least free.

Doubt the police will do anything, especially after the curry incident. They are kids after all.

Wireless sound cancelling headphones. Or if you cant beat them why not join them, make your own racket that you like, why not set up a chapter of Hari krishna, and hold the meetings in your room?

sms wrote:That or set up a cottage industry making and fermenting Kimchi and/or Vietnamese Fish Sauce (nước mắm)? That will get their attention.

somehow I hit edit instead of quote when I wrote this and didn't realize it. - sms

QRM wrote:Wireless sound cancelling headphones. Or if you cant beat them why not join them, make your own racket that you like, why not set up a chapter of Hari krishna, and hold the meetings in your room?

sms wrote:That or set up a cottage industry making and fermenting Kimchi and/or Vietnamese Fish Sauce (nước mắm)? That will get their attention.

somehow I hit edit instead of quote when I wrote this and didn't realize it. - sms

Hahaha, that's hilarious. Yeah, I've been given similar advice to invest in a pair of booming speakers. That's one option I'm considering.

As far as moving out goes, I think I'm pretty much stuck here for at least another year, so hopefully the kids do grow up (shut up)a little in time. Contacting the police would be futile, I know. I just wish everyone could be adult and civil enough to handle these things between each other, but it seems most are pretty inconsiderate and therefore uncooperative. Hey, I'm not complaining about curry and incense smells wafting through my room at 6am and 6pm, I just want some quiet.

You could always do what most local students do his and go to Burger King or Starbucks and buy a small drink and make it last all day. I see students set up camp in coffee shops all the time here, probably having the same issues you are at home.

tealeeef wrote: Hahaha, that's hilarious. Yeah, I've been given similar advice to invest in a pair of booming speakers. That's one option I'm considering.

You can make things more lively by getting 'directional' speakers and direct the music, so no other neighbour picks on you ..

And .. of course, you can get a decibel meter and religiously record the noise level and call NEA - if it really gets on your nerves

Best is still to shut out the noise and get noise cancelling headphones, though the jury is out there on their effectiveness

It is unusual to be complaining about noise within a unit and most options for complaint out there revolve around disturbances from one unit to another, either HDB, condo or Landed.

The only real option you have is to move out and pick your next share carefully. The L/L may be open to discuss the problem given your need to study.

Generally what happens inside a unit, stays inside a unit......home-is-home and all that so it could be that the only recourse you have within the existing unit is getting friendly with a neighbour and getting them to complain instead.