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A frustrated Tengah resident has turned to TikTok to \u201cdocument the reality\u201d of living in the new estate.<\/p>\n
The account,\u00a0Tengah Unfiltered<\/a>, was created last week and features four videos. Its description reads: \u201cIs it an HDB<\/a>\u00a0issue or a Tengah issue? You decide.\u201d<\/p>\n A caption on the post further explains: \u201c<\/em>This account was created to document real everyday life in Tengah \u2014 beyond the nice, beautiful fa\u00e7ade from official sources. While some issues may be minor to others, they affect residents daily and it is important to show them.\u201d<\/p>\n Some viewers advised the resident to contact the town council using the numbers displayed at lift landings, while others pointed out that such issues are common in new estates and could be caused by electrical faults.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople on social media are not going to fix the problem for you,\u201d one netizen wrote.<\/p>\n Still, the OP pressed on, sharing more frustrations \u2014 this time about trash buildup around the estate.<\/p>\n One photo of a void deck shows cardboard boxes, garbage bags, and assorted rubbish piled beside a green dustbin.<\/p>\n \u201cFrequency of clearing rubbish is slow. Might be an upkeep or maintenance issue, but largely a residents\u2019 attitude issue. Plenty of inconsiderate people living here,\u201d the OP wrote, adding that rats could be spotted running around the area every night.<\/p>\n Another photo, taken at a floor-level waste disposal point, shows more cardboard boxes, food waste, utensils, papers, and plastic bags messily dumped in the shared space.<\/p>\n The OP blamed inconsiderate neighbours, writing: \u201cWonder why some adults think people need to clean up after them. Don\u2019t even have the basic decency to dispose of their own rubbish properly \u2014 that\u2019s literally the bare minimum.\u201d<\/p>\n This time, netizens sympathised, expressing surprise that rats could already be found in a relatively new estate. Many agreed that residents should dispose of their cardboard boxes properly, not only for hygiene but also because such clutter can pose a fire hazard.<\/p>\n Others pointed out that the problem isn\u2019t unique to Tengah \u2014 new estates often face similar teething issues. Some shared experiences of neighbours leaving rubbish in lifts, while others recalled the same situation when moving into their own newly built HDB flats.<\/p>\n Several said they addressed the issue by \u201cnaming and shaming\u201d units whose boxes were left behind \u2014 some even complained directly to their town councils.<\/p>\n The OP\u2019s third grievance concerned construction noise downstairs.<\/p>\n \u201cI moved into Tengah mentally prepared for some level of construction noise. But for it to start at 8am sharp, even on Saturdays, is ridiculous. It goes on for six to eight hours,\u201d they wrote, adding that they struggle to take meetings on work-from-home days.<\/p>\n They suggested that noisy works be avoided on Saturdays when most people are home or that construction start slightly later in the day.<\/p>\n Again, many commenters pointed out that the situation is not unique to Tengah.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are things you can\u2019t control. Just put on headphones?\u201d one wrote.<\/p>\n Another added, \u201cNon-mature estates are like that. Need to build to become mature estate right.\u201d<\/p>\n One simply commented: \u201cObviously will be loud lah, they\u2019re building an estate, not Legos.\u201d<\/p>\n Others explained that noise is a long-term reality for anyone moving into a new BTO project \u2014 a necessary inconvenience if residents want the benefits of new MRT lines and upgraded infrastructure. One Punggol resident said they endured similar noise for years when Sengkang was being developed. Another from Bishan noted that lift-upgrading works in their area are equally disruptive.<\/p>\n (As someone living in the East, this writer can confirm that lift-upgrading noise is indeed very<\/em> loud \u2014 but also unavoidable when a neighbourhood is undergoing renewal.)<\/p>\n Overall, many agreed that issues like noise, cardboard waste, and messy common areas are common trade-offs when living in a new or developing estate.<\/p>\n So, do these problems only exist in Tengah \u2014 or are they simply the \u201creality\u201d of HDB living, given that residents in other neighbourhoods seem to share the same experiences?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n