Hoarder’s ‘Cockroach House’ horrifies neighbours; Town Council steps in

A man’s hoarding habits caused such a severe infestation of roaches that his neighbours took to calling his flat “The Cockroach House”.

The amount of items—including trash—has accumulated over the years, and the resulting cockroach infestation has gone on to spread to his neighbours’ units.

The tenant of the three-room flat, located on the ninth floor of King George’s Avenue Block 804, is a male in his 60s.

Some neighbours recently spoke to the Chinese language Shin Min Daily News about the difficult situation.

Apparently, this has been going on for some time now.

A woman who lives near the man said that in 2017, at a time when the building’s toilet systems were being upgraded, she and some other neighbours caught a peek at the interior of the man’s flat.

They were shocked at how much stuff was in the house.

And while three truckloads of items were already removed at that point, the woman told Shin Min Daily News that she thinks the items have piled up again.

She also said that she once sprayed the man’s plants with pesticide, and to her shock and horror, hundreds of cockroaches came out.

In the aftermath of the spray, the corridor was littered with dead roaches. 

Although the resident sweeps the corridor in front of his unit daily, neighbours still see many cockroaches around.

Other neighbours spoke of the foul smell emanating from the man’s unit and are concerned over the fire hazard posed by the man’s accumulated items.

Shin Min Daily News said that the Jalan Besar Town Council has stepped in and persuaded the man to clean both the inside and the outside of his flat. He used to live with a brother, the report said, but seems to be on his own now.

Hoarding Disorder

People who suffer from hoarding disorder, according to the American Psychiatric Association, experience “persistent difficulty getting rid of or parting with possessions due to a perceived need to save the items. Attempts to part with possessions create considerable distress and lead to decisions to save them. The resulting clutter disrupts the ability to use living spaces.'”

There are higher rates of the disorder among people over the age of 60 and with individuals who have had other psychiatric conditions, particularly anxiety and depression.

There are treatments available for the disorder, including therapy and medication.

/TISG

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