We all need good neighbours
We want our tenants to enjoy their homes and communities free from anti-social behaviour (ASB) or crime. We aim to provide and uphold communities which feel safe and where people enjoy living. However, from time to time the actions of others can have a negative impact on those who live around them and we are here to help should this happen.
We do not tolerate anti-social behaviour in our communities and are committed to tackling and preventing it.
Children playing outside
During the summer months when the weather is good and especially during the school holidays, you’re more likely to see children out playing in your neighbourhood. Playing outside and staying active is good for children’s health and it’s great that they’re making the most of the communal space.
On occasions mistakes may happen, for example hitting a ball into a neighbour’s garden, so please be patient with this and if necessary, talk to your neighbours. Normal child’s play is not considered to be anti-social behaviour, however if you do experience serious behaviour issues, such as criminal damage, let us know and our Safe Communities team can help.
A little kindness goes a long way
There are some behaviours which can be inconvenient or irritating, but we do not consider them to be anti-social behaviour (ASB). We wouldn’t become involved in matters like these and would expect our tenants to resolve them between themselves.
Some examples of issues like these include:
- Disagreements or disputes over parking
- Children playing or disagreements between children
- Falling out with your neighbour
- Household activities such as noise or cooking smells (remember you will hear more noise in some types of properties than others and larger families will naturally make more noise)
- Differences in lifestyle, beliefs or cultures
- Posts or comments on social media
- Parties or barbeques (unless persistent and noisy)
We encourage our tenants to politely speak to each other to resolve disagreements and disputes. Your neighbour may not realise they are causing a problem until you explain how it is affecting you. Many people will appreciate the opportunity to talk things through reasonably.
Everyone should be free to express themselves and live their lives in a way that makes them happy, and sometimes this might be different to those around them. We ask our tenants to be tolerant and kind to each other.
What is anti-social behaviour (ASB)?
ASB can take many forms but is generally behaviour which causes harassment, alarm or distress or is a nuisance and annoyance to others. It can affect some people more than others. When dealing with ASB cases, we will look at the individual’s experience together with the impact this behaviour is having.
We categorise all reports of ASB, so we can use the right support and resolution methods to tackle the problem quickly and effectively.
When you report an issue to us, you’ll be asked to choose one or more of the following categories:
Communal area
Criminal activity in corridors, entrances or gardens like drug taking or dealing.
County lines/cuckooing
A safeguarding issue often involving exploitation of children and vulnerable adults. We encourage you to report any signs of county lines or cuckooing activity to us as soon as possible. If you’re experiencing issues with unwanted visitors in your home or your child is showing signs of county lines involvement, we can help. Further information about this can be found on the National Crime Agency site.
Criminal damage/vandalism
To report graffiti please use our Report an Estate Issue form.
Dangerous dogs/animals
Dogs or animals which are prohibited by law and could pose a risk of harm.
Domestic abuse
Sometimes domestic abuse can present as noise nuisance, we can help with this. Visit our Domestic Abuse page for more information.
Drugs, substance misuse or drug dealing
The use of illegal substances including personal use, dealing, supplying and growing.
Fire related nuisance
This means deliberately setting fire, or any fires in dangerous places.
Group, gang and youth disorder
Large, intimidating gatherings of groups or gangs.
Hate crime/behaviour
Targeting someone because of their race, faith, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or other characteristic.
Indecent or unwanted sexual behaviour
Indecent exposure, sex working, unwanted sexual advances or harassment.
Intimidating behaviour or harassment
Using abusive words or language or repeatedly targeting someone.
Noise
Such as loud music or equipment.
Violence, assault or threatening behaviour
Physical or threats of physical violence.
For items left in communal areas or fly tipping, please see our Your Community page.
Your responsibilities
We’re sure you’ll treat your neighbours and those around you with kindness and respect. Part of the commitment you make when you move into one of our homes is not to behave in a way which could negatively affect those living around you - this is what we mean by your responsibilities.
In the event we need to contact you to discuss any concerns we ask that you engage positively with our staff so we can resolve the matter as quickly as possible – never forget that we’re here to help. When dealing with cases of ASB, our staff will listen to everyone involved, identify any areas where support is needed (sometimes provided by an outside organisation) and make a plan to resolve the issues. It’s vital everyone plays their part in that plan for it to succeed.
What you can expect from us
As a tenant, you have the right to report ASB to us or other agencies. We will listen to you and take our responsibility seriously to tackle and resolve these behaviours as best we can.
If you have reported ASB to us, we might need to open a case with you. You’ll be assigned a case handler - they will complete a risk assessment with you and create an action plan with input from you. You may be asked to keep a record of what’s happening to help us decide what to do next. We will be clear about how frequently and how we will communicate with you as well as how you can contact us.
We will support our tenants who have been the victim of crime or ASB to access services that can help. You may also wish to contact Victim Support for further information.
Reporting anti-social behaviour
If someone is causing anti-social behaviour and this affects you, it is worth trying to discuss this calmly and politely with them at first - they may not realise they are causing a problem. If the situation does not get any better, please let us know.
In an emergency, if there is a risk of harm or if someone has committed a crime, you should contact the Police immediately by calling 999. For non-emergency police reporting you can dial 101.
You can also contact CrimeStoppers, particularly if you wish to remain anonymous.
If you are experiencing excessive noise, such as persistent loud music, local authority environmental teams may be able to assist with tackling this.
To report an incident of ASB to us complete the form below.