The Community Disputes Resolution Act (CDRA) creates a new statutory tort of interfering with the enjoyment or use of places of residence. The underlying principle is that no person should cause unreasonable interference with his neighbour's enjoyment or use of that neighbour's place of residence.

The CDRA also establishes the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal (CDRT) as part of the State Courts to hear cases under the CDRA.

1. Who is my neighbour?

Your neighbour is a person who:

• Lives in the same building as you; or
• Lives within a 100 metre radius of your place of residence.

Your neighbour does not include a person who lives in the same place of residence as you.

2. What are some examples of interference by my neighbour?

1. Causing excessive noise, smell, smoke, light or vibration;
2. Littering at or in the vicinity of your place of residence;
3. Obstructing your place of residence;
4. Interfering with your movable property;
5. Conducting surveillance on you or your place of residence, where the surveillance is done at or in the vicinity of your place of residence;
6. Trespassing on your place of residence;
7. Allowing his animal to trespass on your place of residence, to cause excessive noise or smell, or to defecate or urinate at or in the vicinity of your place of residence.

3. What kind of evidence can I bring before the CDRT?

Three (3) sets of the following:

1. Photographs;
2. Video recordings;
3. Audio recordings;
4. CCTV footages;
5. Contemporaneous record stating the date, time, frequency, type and severity of interference;
6. Letters or notes that have been exchanged between your neighbour and you;
7. Letters inviting your neighbour or you to attend mediation on previous occasions;
8. Previous mediation settlement agreements;
9. Letters from other government agencies such as the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), Building and Construction Authority (BCA), Housing & Development Board (HDB), Land Transport Authority (LTA), National Environmental Agency (NEA), PUB, Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Singapore Police Force (SPF), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) etc.;
10. Medical reports; or
11. Police reports etc.

Notes:
(1) All non-English documents must be translated into English by a certified court interpreter or a translation verified by the affidavit of a person qualified to translate it before it may be received, filed or used in the CDRT.
(2) All relevant audio or video recordings must be in CD-R or DVD-R (non-rewritable).
(3) The relevant parts of all audio or video recordings tendered into evidence must be accompanied by a transcript, i.e. be reduced into writing.

4. What court orders can I apply for? What court orders can the CDRT make?

5. What will the CDRT consider in deciding whether to make a court order and what court order to make?

The CDRT will consider:

1. Whether the claim has been made out against your neighbour on a balance of probabilities; and
2. Whether it is just and equitable for the court order to be made.

In deciding whether it is just and equitable for the court order to be made, the CDRT will consider:

1. The impact of the order on your neighbour;
2. The impact of the order on any person who resides in your neighbour's place of residence at the time the order is made;
3. The impact of the order on any other person who can reasonably be expected to be affected by the order;
4. The ordinary instances of daily living that can be expected to be tolerated by reasonable persons living in Singapore; and
5. Any other matters as the court deems fit.
   

6. What can I do if my neighbour refuses to comply with the court order?