Antisocial behaviour

What is antisocial behaviour?

We use the definition of antisocial behaviour set out in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 which talks about conduct that has caused, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress, nuisance or annoyance to anyone.

However, these terms can be interpreted in different ways by different people, so we have listed below what we will and will not classify as antisocial behaviour, based on definitions set out by government agencies and the housing profession, so that customers are clear about what we mean by antisocial behaviour. If a report of antisocial behaviour does not meet our definition of such behaviour then we will open a breach of tenancy case on our housing management system.

Neighbour disputes, where two neighbours disagree about something can often become a source of distress and frustration, and it is common for both sides in a dispute to have done things to annoy the other person. However, such disputes are not classed as antisocial behaviour.

Issues we will classify as antisocial behaviour:

Alcohol related incidents.
Criminal behaviour.
Drug use/substance misuse/drug dealing.
Harassment/verbal abuse/threatening behaviour.
Hate related incidents motivated by racial, sexual or other prejudices.
Misuse of communal areas and public spaces.
Modern slavery.
Noise from domestic appliances, e.g. washing machines, vacuum cleaners, at unsociable hours (considered by local authorities to be between the hours of 11.00pm to 7.00am).
Noise which is continuous and excessive.
Nuisance from pets and animals which is continuous and excessive, e.g. continual dog barking.
Nuisance from vehicles.
Physical violence.
Vandalism and damage to property.

Issues we will not consider antisocial behaviour:

Actions that may be thoughtless, inconsiderate or unpleasant.
Arguments over gardens, hedges, trees and boundaries.
Baby’s crying.
Children playing.
Clashes of lifestyle, e.g. as a result of age, different working or sleeping patterns.
Cooking smells.
Gossip and staring.
Infrequent and occasional loud noise and disturbances.
Loud talking or laughing.
Minor vehicle repairs.
Noise as a result of poor building design and/or lack of sound insulation.
Noise from domestic appliances, e.g. washing machines, vacuum cleaners, unless at unsociable hours (considered by local authorities to be between the hours of 11.00pm to 7.00am).
Nuisance from pets and animals which is not continuous or excessive, e.g. occasional dog barking.
One off events such as parties and barbecues.
Parking issues.
People moving around their home.
Personal disputes.
Untidy and/or overgrown gardens.

Report antisocial behaviour

The sooner you involve us, the easier it will be to resolve the problem.

Fill out the form

Complete our form below to report antisocial behaviour to us. We understand that you may wish to remain anonymous when you report antisocial behaviour to us; however, we will need your contact details so that we can take appropriate action.

Antisocial behaviour contact form

Full name

Address (including postcode)

Email Address

Confirm Email Address

Telephone number

Use the box below to describe the antisocial behaviour that you are experiencing. Include as much detail as possible. *

Address of the person causing the antisocial behaviour

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If you are human, leave this field blank.

To talk to someone about antisocial behaviour and what you are currently experiencing please speak to your local neighbourhood manager. If you need to speak to someone outside of our office hours you can still call us 01225 715 715.

Serious incidents

If there has been a serious incident, you should contact the police. Please contact us as soon as possible afterwards.

If you’ve been affected by crime, you can also get in touch with your local victim care team. You can request support on the Victim Support website, or call your local victim care team at the numbers below:

Victim Support Wiltshire: 0808 281 0113

Victim Support Avon and Somerset: 0300 303 1972

What happens next?

Your neighbourhood manager will begin a thorough investigation

We take all complaints seriously and your neighbourhood manager will begin a thorough investigation. Your neighbourhood manager will contact you within two working days and will work with you and other organisations to tackle the issue.

What does an investigation involve?

Your neighbourhood manager will carry out interviews and gather evidence from you, your neighbours, any witnesses, as well as other relevant agencies, such as the police and environmental health.

We may ask you as part of this process to complete diary sheets and to download our noise app to aid the investigation.

How will we help to resolve the problem?

We will agree on an action plan with you about what we intend to do and anything that we need you to do. We have developed a range of responses that are both effective and fair.

What can I do if I'm unhappy with the response to my ASB complaint?

If you feel that our response to your complaint about antisocial behaviour has been inadequate, you can seek an independent review of your case by requesting an ‘antisocial behaviour case review’.

To start this process, select your council from the list below. You will find further information about the process and how to apply on their pages.

Frequently asked questions

Can I remain anonymous as I’m afraid about how my neighbour might react to my complaint about them?

We will allow complainants to remain anonymous at their request, but if at any stage we cannot progress their complaint any further as a result of this they will be asked to give up their anonymity. However, we will not act on anonymous complaints where we do not know who the complainant is.

Do you deal differently with perpetrators who are unwell because they have a mental illness?

Antisocial behaviour caused as a result of the state of a person’s mental health can be complicated to deal with due to disability discrimination and equality legislation, and judges tread very carefully when dealing with such cases. This means that we have a number of hurdles to overcome to achieve a successful outcome, which includes engaging with agencies such as social services and the mental health team as part of a multi-disciplinary team approach. We will use legal action where necessary but the evidential bar is higher than in other cases, and we have to ensure that we are acting within the law as far as disability and equality rights are concerned.

We also have to consider our Public Sector Equality Duty responsibilities for such cases, i.e. how our decisions affect people protected under the Act. Any health factors will be set out in an equality impact assessment to determine the proportionality and reasonableness of potential legal proceedings.

Do you ever rehouse victims of antisocial behaviour?

The issue of rehousing is normally a matter of last resort, as we always look to try and deal with the person behaving antisocially. However, we do recognise that on rare occasions rehousing may be the only option due to the unresolvable circumstances involved in the case.

How do I know what you will and will not consider to be antisocial behaviour?

There is a list of what we will and will not consider to be antisocial behaviour at the end of our antisocial behaviour policy and on our website.

I find some of the things my neighbour does really annoy me, so would you classify these as antisocial behaviour?

We expect a reasonable level of tolerance between neighbours, especially around carrying out everyday activities and the acceptance of different lifestyles. As a result, even though some behaviour may cause a nuisance it may not be treated as being antisocial, although we will provide appropriate advice and guidance.

I have reported my neighbour’s antisocial behaviour to you but you have asked me to try mediation first. Why?

We expect customers to take responsibility for trying to resolve disputes with their neighbours by talking to them in the first instance. If this doesn’t work, we encourage them to make use of mediation services where an impartial professional (the mediator) helps both sides work out an agreement. It’s confidential and free for you to use as we pay the costs involved, and is usually quicker than involving us as the landlord and possibly going to court.

If I have a dispute or disagreement with my neighbour is this classed as antisocial behaviour?

Neighbour disputes where two neighbours disagree about something can often become a source of distress and frustration, and it is common for both sides in a dispute to have done things to annoy the other person. However, such disputes are not classed as antisocial behaviour.

Is it more of an issue to deal with a perpetrator of antisocial behaviour who is a private owner or renter?

We have no contractual relationship with private households as we do with customers (i.e. a tenancy agreement), so we are very limited in any action we can take against them. We do have a small selection of tools and actions we can take as far as private people are concerned, but in the main they are covered by general law which is the responsibility of local authorities and/or the police. In addition to reporting issues of community safety and criminality to the police, there are also a number of other remedies which the police and local authority can use which are set out in the Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014.

One of my neighbours causes a nuisance by the way they park their car in the road or the parking areas without any consideration for others. Why isn’t this classed as antisocial behaviour?

This type of behaviour is not classified as antisocial behaviour as there is no victim/perpetrator; it is more a case of someone being inconsiderate to other people. Roads and parking areas are usually adopted highway, so issues regarding these areas are normally a matter for the local authority or the police to deal, as we have no powers to deal with issues on land we don’t own.

Antisocial behaviour case review

If you are unhappy with our response to your complaint about antisocial behaviour, you can seek an independent review of your case.

To start this process, select your local area from the list below. You will find further information about the process and how to apply on these pages.

Wiltshire

Somerset

Bath and North East Somerset

There is also an escalation option available to customers through the Housing Ombudsman.

Customer feedback following ASB cases

“I was shocked that I wasn’t disbelieved. The Neighbourhood Manager came to see me the next day and sat down with me. Selwood set me up in a hotel for a week to get away from the situation. They helped me move and get an injunction put in place. There was feeling of care and real concern and they put me on to victim support.”

“Selwood didn’t disbelieve us and were very considerate of how we were feeling. They acted quickly and kept us informed.”

“(Staff member) was very professional and kept me informed. I always get a wonderful service whenever I have reason to call Selwood. Everyone is lovely.”

“I would like to say that support received from (staff member) on that matter was excellent and very professional.”

“Keep doing what you are doing. The communication between Selwood and PCSO was daily and I was kept informed daily so felt safe. Then the outcome of the tenant moving out. My daughter and myself we could feel safe again. Thank you.”