Complaints of Cigarette Smoke Drifting into Neighbouring Houses

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Law in the past two years (a) how many disputes concerning cigarette smoke from neighbouring units drifting into adjacent houses have been referred to the Community Mediation Centres; and (b) of these conflicts, how many have been resolved and what have been the terms of the resolution.

From January 2015 to May 2017, only two cases involving neighbour disputes concerning cigarette smoke were referred by the Courts to the Community Mediation Centre (CMC). In the same period, there were 45 such cases which were voluntarily registered by an aggrieved party directly at CMC. That makes 47 cases of neighbour disputes involving cigarette smoke registered at CMC in total. This is less than 2% of all cases registered at CMC during the same period.

As mediation is a voluntary process, mediation can be proceeded with only if both parties agree to mediate. Of the 47 cases that were registered, eight cases proceeded to mediation. All eight cases which proceeded to mediation were successfully resolved at CMC.

The terms of settlement included (a) the respondent agreeing to reduce the frequency of smoking; (b) the respondent agreeing to take measures to prevent cigarette smoke from drifting into neighbouring units; and (c) the respondent agreeing to be contacted directly by the complainant if smoke drifted in from the respondent's unit.