Garlic and onion at 5:30 am caused a feud—does anyone have the right to ban smells in shared housing?

The smell of garlic and onion at dawn sparked more than a culinary debate in one Sydney apartment.

A neighbour’s furious note about 'stinky' cooking set off a heated discussion online.

It questioned where cultural tolerance ends and communal living rules begin.

An apartment resident shared a story on social media after receiving a hostile note from a neighbour about their early-morning cooking.

The complaint targeted chicken fried rice prepared at 5:30 am, seasoned with garlic, onion, and other common Asian flavours.

The note read: 'Your stinky food woke me again at 5.30am. That's 2 days in a row that you have cooked very stinky food at 5am!'

It continued: 'You have been cooking stinky food for months! It made me nauseous! The stink goes into all our units! Stop being selfish and inconsiderate!

Before ending with a threat to involve management, the neighbour declared: 'When you live in such close proximity with others you cannot cook stinky food!

Despite the tone, the food in question was ordinary chicken fried rice—far from a reason for neighbourly warfare.

Australian law around cooking odours is more nuanced than many assume.

Cooking smells may legally qualify as nuisances if they substantially and unreasonably interfere with a person’s use of their property.

However, courts also acknowledge that 'catching the aroma of food and cooking from your neighbour's unit is part of apartment living.'

Tenants cannot be restricted in what they cook and eat at home, but equally, residents don't automatically have the right to have strong odours invade their apartments.

Property management experts noted that close living quarters often share cooking smells through ventilation, emphasising that tolerance is key when residents cook foods with strong aromas.

Cultural considerations have increasingly entered discussions about odour complaints.

NSW tenancy experts warned that 'it's illegal and racist to ban spices in the kitchen' and explained that odours associated with race can trigger subconscious prejudice.

A 2017 Choice report found that half of all private rental tenants experienced some form of discrimination, with six per cent citing race.

The case of Anjali, who stopped cooking Indian food for six months due to repeated complaints, highlighted how these disputes can escalate.

Her upstairs neighbour would complain every time she cooked, eventually confronting her with friends over the smell.

Anjali recognised there was racism hidden in the complaints, forcing her to avoid preparing her cultural dishes.

From a property management perspective, odour complaints require careful handling.

Courts have ruled that strong smells may be a nuisance if they consistently affect common or private spaces.

Managers must distinguish between unpleasant odours and those that genuinely interfere with livability.

They must also avoid discrimination, treating cooking complaints as they would any other nuisance and applying consistent procedures.

Apartment design often influences odour disputes more than cooking choices.

Modern complexes have sophisticated HVAC systems to reduce airflow between units, while older buildings often have shared ventilation that allows smells to travel.

On social media, users overwhelmingly supported the cook, describing the complaint as unreasonable.

Comments ranged from practical—'I smell my neighbour’s food every time they cook, stinky or not. It's gone after 20 mins'—to pointed—'If she doesn't want to smell stinky food then she shouldn't live in an apartment building'.

NSW legal experts suggested the simplest solution was to speak directly with neighbours, as suitable arrangements are often easily reached without legal involvement.

Mediation services are also available for those uncomfortable with direct communication.

Practical solutions include cooking with windows open, using exhaust fans, and timing particularly aromatic dishes appropriately.

The expectation should be reasonable accommodation, not cultural censorship.

Those receiving complaints are advised to document incidents and involve building management early.

Leases typically guarantee a tenant's 'right to quiet enjoyment' and assign managers the responsibility to resolve disputes.

The social media poster planned to email management to create an official record and clarify whether the complaint was legitimate or biased.

One commenter joked that the neighbour might try cooking durian to gain perspective on truly challenging odours.

This case demonstrates that apartment living requires mutual respect and cultural awareness.

The difference between legitimate concerns and discriminatory harassment often lies not in what’s being cooked but how complaints are raised and whether they reflect cultural prejudice or community standards.

If you found the neighbour cooking dispute intense, there’s another real-life apartment conflict that escalated in unexpected ways.

This story shows how a simple note between neighbours can spiral into a full-blown feud that grabs attention online.

It’s a fascinating example of how small disputes in shared living spaces can quickly become viral discussions.

Read more: This public apartment note war got hilariously out of hand—here’s what happened next!

Have you ever faced a neighbour complaint over your cooking, and how did you handle it?