We should all be able to feel safe and happy in our homes and communities.
Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) is any ongoing and persistent, nuisance or criminal behaviour which causes distress to others.
If you are experiencing ASB and you haven’t been able to resolve the situation by talking to the other party, or you don’t feel safe to do so, you should contact us for help and advice. Depending on the type and intensity of the ASB you may be asked to also report the incident to the police or your local authority.
Call us on 0800 678 1221 (press option 1 and then option 5) or complete our online ASB reporting form
Anti-social behaviour comes in many forms and can cause alarm or distress to others.
A behaviour must be persistent to be considered anti-social, and there can be a fine line between anti-social behaviour and a neighbour dispute.
Examples include noise nuisance, verbal abuse, harassment or intimidation, assaults or threats of violence, sexual offences, drug use and dealing, criminal damage, arson, brothels or prostitution or the use or possession of a weapon.
You can find more information about anti-social behaviour via Citizens Advice.
Take a look at how we can help you.
Help us to help you - Reporting ASB
If you are experiencing or are aware of any anti-social behaviour, you should record the dates, times and details of all incidents. You can also:
report criminal behaviour to the Police by dialling 999 in an emergency, or 101. Visit the Police.UK website to find your local force. Alternatively, you can report it to Crimestoppers online or by calling 0800 555 111.
speak to your GP for advice if your health is being impacted.
contact Victim Support online or by calling 0808 168 9111.
visit Better Days for additional support options.
We know how important it is to tackle anti-social behaviour and understand the impact it can have. We are committed to working with you to detect and prevent it.
If anti-social behaviour is reported, we will:
Open a case managed by a designated Tenancy Services Officer who will contact you within two working days of the allegation being made
Agree an action plan with you which will include details of how we will ensure to are kept to-to-date via your preferred method of contact
Take a multi-agency approach to dealing with your case, working closely alongside the Police, your Local Authority and other agencies
Consider the needs of everyone involved
Carry out an investigation and help gather evidence
Use early intervention tools such as verbal / written warnings and tenancy management plans to try and resolve the issue
Offer mediation where applicable through our mediation partner, Crime Concern
Take legal action, as a last resort, if necessary
Please refer to our Anti-social Behaviour Policy for more information.
If someone is causing anti-social behaviour, we will consider the following when deciding the best course of action:
The type behaviour
The severity, frequency and impact of the behaviour
The evidence available
The support needs of everyone involved
What other actions have been considered and tried
Whether the perpetrator has been given the opportunity to change their behaviour and, if so, whether there has been any improvement
We cannot simply evict someone from their home in all circumstances. Eviction requires a court order and a bailiff’s appointment – and is a last resort that will only be considered in the most serious cases.
We cannot step in under these circumstances. However, to ensure the issue is dealt with, we would advise speaking to them directly or contacting your Local Authority, which should have a dedicated anti-social behaviour team to assist you. Alternatively, you can contact your local Police for advice.
You can politely speak to your neighbours to try and resolve the issue. If you have been reported to us, one of our Tenancy Services Officers will contact you to discuss the allegations. Please be assured that we investigate all allegations by speaking to everyone involved and gathering evidence.
You can report anti-social behaviour anonymously, but it makes it harder for us to manage. We would prefer to know who you are so we can keep you posted on progress and request further information if needed. If you disclose your identity to us, we will not let the perpetrator know who has made the allegation (unless you give us consent to do so).
We cannot deal with one-off instances of ‘general living noises’ such as parties, crying babies, on-off arguments, children playing, footsteps and DIY.
For persistent noise, try speaking to your neighbour about potential ways to minimise the noise such as turning down loud music, not having late night visitors talking in communal areas or asking them to move TVs / radios from adjoining walls.
If the noise continues, keep a log of dates and times to see whether a pattern emerges before reporting it to your Local Authority’s Environmental Health team. You should obtain a reference before reporting it to us so we can work in partnership with them. Find your local council’s details at Gov.UK.
If you are concerned about your neighbour’s welfare due to the nature of the noise, e.g. shouting and banging, please contact the Police, or seek advice by visiting our Domestic Abuse and Safeguarding page.
With regards to animal noise, we can only deal with any noise deemed excessive, i.e. continuous periods for at least 30 minutes, five days a week. If you believe this is the case, you should follow the same process as above to report it.
Please contact the RSPCA if you are concerned about the welfare of an animal.
Some forms of anti-social behaviour are classed as criminal offences and should be reported to the Police in the first instance. You should obtain a crime reference number as well as the name of the officer dealing with the allegation before reporting it to us. That way, we can work in partnership with the Police and take any appropriate action. You should also be sure to let the Police know if you, or any others, are in danger.
You can find more detail on specific types of criminal anti-social behaviour – and additional information on reporting allegations – below.
This involves deliberately setting fire to property, causing danger to residents and those living nearby.
Being verbally abused, harassed, or intimidated is distressing and it can be even more so when the perpetrator lives close to you. As a result, we take all allegations of this nature seriously.
We work closely with the Police when faced with allegations of this nature.
You must be specific when making an allegation so we can act on the information given, for example, tell us exactly which house or flat the activity is taking place in and provide details of dates and times.
Please also try to obtain descriptions of individuals, or the registration numbers of any cars, attending the property to deliver or collect, but only if it is safe to do so.
If you are aware of any criminal damage occurring, contact the Police immediately on 999. Do not put yourself in danger by approaching anyone carrying out an illegal act.
If you notice any criminal damage after it has taken place, please report it to the Police on 101. If safe to do so, take a photo of the damage, but don’t touch the area in case the police need to carry out a forensic examination.
If the item or property that has been damaged belongs to us, you should contact us with the police reference number so we can work with them to bring charges and seek compensation from the perpetrator for damage caused.
Concerns about gun or knife crime, or witnessing a crime, must be reported to the Police.
If you are concerned about a child becoming involved in gun or knife crime, or gangs, you may find the Government’s information for parents and carers useful.
If someone has assaulted you or threatened violence, this is a serious matter.
If needed, ensure you have someone with you when you contact the Police and consider contacting Victim Support for help. You may want to think about having someone stay with you – or going to stay with family or friends – for a couple of days, for ongoing support.
These criminal offences must be reported to the Police, and we will work with them to stop this activity and prevent further incidents.
If you are concerned about modern slavery or child trafficking, you can visit www.unseenuk.org for more information.
These offences must be reported to the Police to investigate. If you feel you can’t speak to the Police, you can contact Crimestoppers instead, via www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
If you, or anyone you know, needs additional support please contact one of the following agencies who are there to help you:
If you have reported anti-social behaviour to us on multiple occasions and feel that we have not taken sufficient action to resolve it, you could consider raising a ‘Community Trigger’
The Community Trigger is designed for victims of persistent anti-social behaviour and gives them the right to demand action from agencies dealing with the reports.
The standard threshold for a Community Trigger to be raised is that you have reported three incidents (or more) within a six-month period.
Once a Community Trigger has been raised, a multi-agency case review will be initiated which will involve multiple agencies including Orbit, Local Authorities, and the Police meeting to review the action taken so far.
To activate a community trigger, you will need to contact your local authority who will lead on the process. Information on how your Local Authority process Community Triggers can be found here.
Alternatively, if you feel that you have reported ASB to us and we have not actioned this appropriately please let us know by raising a complaint on your MyAccount portal.