Neighbourly disputes often arise over classic issues like smoking or excessive noise, but for one Yishun resident, the problem is something far more unexpected — the smell of freshly baked pizza.
More specifically, the strong aroma of cheese wafting from her neighbour’s unit bothers her.
Mrs Li, who lives in a Yishun Avenue 9 HDB flat, shared with Shin Min Daily News that her neighbour started hosting private pizza dinners at home about a month ago.
Source: eternalcreative on Canva, for illustration purposes only
These gatherings have since attracted sizeable groups at least twice weekly, usually on Friday and Saturday nights from around 7pm to 11pm.
According to Mrs Li, the guests aren’t just noisy while they’re inside — there’s plenty of loud chatter and laughter spilling over as they arrive and depart, which disrupts her sleep.
Mrs Li added that her neighbour’s choice of “pungent” ingredients, like rich, greasy cheese, only adds to her discomfort.
Even her students, who come to her flat for music lessons, have complained about the odour.
“I’ve always been sensitive to the smell of cheese,” she said. “Whenever I catch a whiff, it gives me a headache.”
To combat the smell, Mrs Li sprays perfume or air freshener whenever the aroma of cheese and spices drifts over from her neighbour’s baking sessions.
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Yet, she admits her efforts are largely in vain, as the scent stubbornly lingers.
Taking matters into her own hands, Mrs Li met with her neighbour on 21 Oct to discuss his private dining business.
Despite the conversation, he continued to host guests as recently as last Saturday (2 Nov), with the visitors being just as noisy when they left.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Mrs Li said that if her neighbour insists on running his home-based pizzeria, she hopes he can at least cut down on the number of customers and finish up earlier in the evening.
In her view, the best solution would be for her neighbour to rent a separate venue for the business.
Sharing his side of the story, the neighbour, Mr Shen, told Shin Min Daily News he only learned about Mrs Li’s unhappiness when she messaged him on social media.
“We’ve always believed that communication can solve anything, but she only mentioned this last week,” he explained.
After hearing her concerns, Mr Shen quickly took steps to address them.
He bought sealing strips to block the gaps under his doors, hoping to reduce both noise and odours.
The 43-year-old marketing consultant also makes sure to close his kitchen door while baking pizzas to prevent the smell from reaching his neighbour’s flat.
“We respect her perspective, but at the same time, we feel it’s a bit unfair, as this is our passion and lifestyle,” Mr Shen said.
He added that since Mrs Li also teaches music from her home, he assumed there would be some mutual understanding.
It turns out that Mr Shen’s home-based pizzeria, which he runs with his wife, was recently featured in The Straits Times (ST).
According to the report, the couple hosts private pizza dinners for six to 10 guests, charging S$100 per person.
In an Instagram post on 14 Oct, they shared that they are fully booked through to mid-January next year.
Mr Shen told Shin Min Daily News that he started the business out of a passion for pizza and never anticipated it would upset his neighbours.
“We’ve already reminded our guests to keep their voices down and avoid ringing the doorbell when they arrive,” he said.
Also read: Bukit Panjang woman obtains court order to stop neighbours from smoking over 150 times in 2 weeks
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Featured image adapted from Sezeryadigar on Canva, for illustration purposes only.
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