The CRU includes Community Relations Officers (CROs), who are public officers. The CROs are:

• trained in investigation and basic mediation, and 
• trained by the Agency for Integrated Care to identify and support persons with mental health needs. 
  

The CROs are supported by Auxiliary Community Relations Officers (ACROs), who are auxiliary police officers. 

For neighbour noise in particular, we will focus on the following types of severe cases:

• Severe and prolonged noise disturbance. This is where noise is being used to cause suffering to the surrounding neighbours, and the noise persists despite attempts to resolve the issue.
• Cases where there could be an underlying mental health condition.

For severe neighbour noises cases

The CRU has the powers to investigate, deter, and stop severe neighbour noise nuisance. These include: 

• Taking statements from the neighbours concerned.
• Entering a place of residence to gather evidence, with consent of the owner or occupier, or approval from the Director-General of Community Relations.
• Issuing a Mediation Direction to require the parties involved to attend mediation.
• Issuing advisories, warnings, or abatement orders that require the individual to stop the noise nuisance.
• Seizing and removing the nuisance-causing object, after sufficient warning.

To complement its investigations, the CRU can deploy noise sensors to collect objective evidence on the direction, timing and intensity of the noise nuisance.  

• Sensors can be deployed in the feedback provider’s unit, and/or at HDB common areas, with consent from the owner or managing agent. 
• The findings can be used for formal investigations and court proceedings.

As a deterrent and absolute last resort for the most severe, recalcitrant nuisance-makers, the CRU may refer the matter to HDB to consider if Compulsory Acquisition of the nuisance-maker’s flat is warranted.

For severe hoarding cases

For severe hoarding cases, the Director-General can apply to the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals (CDRT) for an order to declutter the hoarded unit.  This is a measure of last resort, premised on public interest, after existing regulatory levers from frontline agencies have been exhausted, and the hoarder has failed to comply with a previous CDRT order to declutter. 

Ultimately, a whole-of-society approach is needed to identify hoarding cases early and intervene upstream in a more holistic and sustainable manner.  This is why the public, people and private sector came together from 2024 to form an Action for Alliance to manage hoarding, termed the New Environment Action Team or “NEAT”.  

Click here for more information on NEAT.

For more details on how the CRU will address severe neighbour noise and hoarding cases, please refer to the following: 

• Opening Speech by Minister Edwin Tong at the 2nd Reading of Community Disputes Resolution (Amendment) Bill 
• Opening Speech by SMS Sim Ann at the 2nd Reading of the Community Disputes Resolution (Amendment) Bill
• Reply Speech by SMS Sim Ann at the 2nd Reading of the Community Disputes Resolution (Amendment) Bill

• Communicate with your neighbour politely and work towards an amicable solution. Friendly and open conversations are often the best way forward.
• If you cannot resolve the issue on your own, you can apply for mediation with the Community Mediation Centre here.
• If the dispute remains, you may consider filing a claim at the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals. Find out more here.
  

For further assistance, you can also use the following channels:

• OneService App, the OneService Kaki Chatbot (on WhatsApp, Telegram or Instagram), or HDB's Write to Us 
• For Tampines residents: Neighbour Noise Hotline at 3300 3300 (operating hours: 9am to 9pm on weekdays) 
  

HDB and other frontline agencies will assist with the feedback and escalate severe case to the CRU for assessment.