The e-scooters in a four-room flat in Yishun Ring Road were being sold via Carousell.

An online business operating from a Housing Board flat in Yishun has been told to stop selling e-scooters after complaints from neighbours.

The business, which operated via Carousell, used a four-room flat in Block 799 Yishun Ring Road to store dozens of e-scooters.

According to a report by Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao, neighbours said the business has been operating from the flat for more than a year, and is run by a woman in her 20s and man in his 40s.

A 34-year-old construction worker known only as Mr Wang was quoted as saying he bought an e-scooter for $580 from the couple on Aug 17, after a recommendation from a friend.

He said he was initially asked to wait at the foot of the HDB block but insisted on picking it up at the unit himself.

He was then taken to the unit where he saw at least 40 e-scooters neatly arranged in the living room of the "home warehouse".

"I didn't think too much of it at the time and left soon after," said Mr Wang. "But just 10 days later the battery of the scooter became faulty and could not be charged."

He said the sellers replaced the battery for free, but he became suspicious of the legitimacy of the business.

COMPLAINTS

Other neighbours told Wanbao that many of them had complained to the authorities because strangers have been approaching the flat daily and making a lot of noise.

An unnamed neighbour was quoted as saying that she saw more than 60 e-scooters being moved into the unit last week.

"Recently, there have been more and more reports of fires caused by e-scooters, and I am worried that if a fire breaks out, there will be dire consequences," she said.

Under HDB's Home-Based Small Scale Business Scheme, small scale home-based business activities are permitted and do not require approval from HDB.

But the scheme's guidelines state that HDB flats are primarily intended for residential use and such activities should not adversely affect neighbours.

A resident of the flat, known only as Ms Zhang, told Wanbao that she was initially unaware that the business might be flouting the law. She added that it has since received a notice from HDB to cease business activities in the flat.

She said they will be finding alternatives to conduct the business in accordance with the law.