Antisocial behaviour
Antisocial behaviour is a phrase to describe the way that one person's actions can cause distress to other people.
The law on antisocial behaviour takes into account the impact that certain behaviours have on other people - how frequently the problem happens, how much distress it might cause, and what the impact is on the community.
Antisocial behaviour can include things like:
- Noise
- Hate incidents
- Abusive language
- Threatening behaviour
- Drug use or dealing
- Vandalism
- Litter.
There are some things NCHA can't help with, because they are not considered to be antisocial behaviour. These things include:
- One-off parties and barbecues
- Infrequent and occasional noise or disturbances
- Children playing
- Babies crying
- Occasional dog barking
- Cooking smells
- Smoke from cigarettes and cigars
- Household noise caused by everyday living, e.g. reasonable use of television and music players, noise from electrical items like washing machines and vacuum cleaners at normal hours of the day, DIY during reasonable hours, using stairs, walking about and going in and out of cupboards and doors.
Steps you can take
- If it's a dispute between you and a neighbour, it's a good idea to talk to the neighbour who is causing the issues - but only if you feel it's safe to do so. It's often the case that people don't realise the impact their behaviour is having on others until someone mentions it. You may be able to resolve the problem without making it into a bigger issue by bringing in third parties like NCHA or the local council.
- If you don't feel safe approaching your neighbour directly, you can report antisocial behaviour online at any time. You can also contact us by phone. If you're calling us outside office hours, ring 0800 013 2653. The team will take a message, and someone will call you back to discuss what can be done.
- If you are in immediate danger, please call the police directly on 999.
- The government has published a guide for social housing tenants who are experiencing antisocial behaviour. It explains who is responsible for tackling problems, and gives details of help and support available.
What's the problem?
Report noise nuisance
Loud music or other noise can be irritating, but there are things you can do.
If it's coming from an NCHA property, report noise nuisance to us online. Where there are problems with noise, we will need you to tell us who you think is causing the noise so that we can investigate.
If it's a regular problem, keep a note of dates and times - you could also make a recording on your phone. The environmental health team at your local council have a statutory responsibility to deal with noise nuisance, and you should contact them to see what they can do.
If the noise is especially troubling or the situation seems to be out of hand - for example an argument or a party - contact the police by dialling 101. They will keep a record of the incident, and when possible, they will respond with a visit. You should also call 101 to report general noise nuisance from non-NCHA properties.
Hate incidents
Crimes committed against someone because of their disability, transgender-identity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation are hate crimes and should be reported to the police.
Hate crimes can include:
- threatening behaviour
- assault
- robbery
- damage to property
- inciting others to commit hate crimes
- harassment.
Report hate crime
You can report hate crime to the police online.
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, phone the police on 999.
Please also contact us and talk to an anti-social behaviour investigator for help and support. We take hate incidents very seriously, and within 24 hours of receiving your call, we'll contact you to arrange meeting you either at your home or somewhere else you feel safe.
If your home has been damaged we will attend to emergency repairs and offensive graffiti within 24 hours.
Hate incidents
If the event you experienced wasn't a crime, it may still be classed as a hate incident. If that's the case, NCHA can investigate it for you, rather than the police. (Though we may still advise you to contact the police, especially if the incident is one of a series of events.) If you believe you have been abused or targeted because of your disability, transgender-identity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation, that's how we will treat the incident.
The Citizens Advice website has useful advice on hate crime and hate incidents.
Barking
If there's a dog in your neighbourhood that barks all the time, that's a noise problem - see the noise section on this page for information on how to report it to us.
Dog fouling
If it's a regular problem in your neighbourhood, report dog fouling to us and your local council if the dog's owner is an NCHA resident.
When we get a report about persistent dog mess, we can send out a letter to tenants in the area reminding them to pick up after their pets. We can also arrange a visit to talk to the owner.
Contact your local council if the dog's owner lives in a property we don't manage.
Litter and fly-tipping
Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste. If you've spotted fly-tipping or excess litter in your area, your local council will be able to take action. Report fly-tipping or litter through the Gov.uk website.
Vandalism
If it looks like someone has deliberately damaged property in your area, you can report vandalism to your local council.
If you think that the building or area that has been damaged belongs to NCHA, please contact us to tell us about the vandalism.
What you can expect from us
Our antisocial behaviour service standard sets out how we will respond to reports of anti-social behaviour. Our antisocial behaviour and hate crime policy [PDF] is the policy our staff follow as they work on a case.
