A couple left their air conditioner running when they traveled overseas, causing water damage to neighboring apartments.
Water droplets formed on floors, ceilings, and walls in several units at Block 102A, Punggol Field.
The incident occurred in a 12th-floor unit, according to Shin Min Daily News.
Mr. Zhang, a 44-year-old resident on the 12th floor, noticed his upstairs neighbor knocking on his next-door neighbor’s door last Friday morning (18 Apr 2025).
The upstairs resident reported water droplets forming on their floor.
Mr. Zhang checked security camera footage and found his neighbors had left early Tuesday morning (15 Apr 2025) with four suitcases, suggesting they had gone overseas.
When Mr. Zhang checked his bedroom wall adjacent to the neighboring unit, he found it covered with water droplets.
Mold had developed on parts of the wall, and paint was bubbling and peeling off.
“My wife and I spent an entire day moving furniture out of the room, with some pieces relocated to the living room to prevent further damage,” he said.
He now wipes the wall twice daily and worries about damage to the floor and walls, as well as possible electrical short circuits.
The reporter observed several pieces of cloth in Mr. Zhang’s room used to “absorb water,” which became soaked.
Mr. Zhang’s downstairs neighbor’s ceiling showed water droplets, while the upstairs unit experienced the most severe effects.
Mrs. Qiu, a 41-year-old living on the 13th floor, said her domestic helper had mentioned a cold room and damp floor as early as last Thursday (17 Apr 2025).
She found water continuously collecting on her floor after investigating.
Her husband, Mr. Qiu, a 51-year-old air conditioning maintenance professional, determined the problem was likely caused by the downstairs air conditioner running for an extended period.
He tried knocking on the neighbors’ door but received no response.
“Our wardrobe has also been damaged due to the dampness. Our helper has to wipe the floor every half hour. We can only keep windows and fans on to maintain ventilation in the house,” he said.
Mr. Qiu explained that cutting off electricity to the neighboring unit would stop the situation but would be illegal without permission.
“If this continues, it could become so serious that even the floor tiles might come loose,” he added.
