antisocial behaviour
believe housing is committed to maintaining thriving, safe communities.
Any community or neighbourhood can suffer from crime or antisocial behaviour and you, your family, and every person in your own neighbourhood should feel safe in your home.
If you experience or witness an incident in your community and would like advice, information, or support, believe housing is here to help whenever you need us. We work very closely with the police and a range of other agencies to tackle antisocial behaviour, hate crime, and domestic abuse and violence.
What is antisocial behaviour?
- Noise nuisance (for example, loud music)
- Vehicle nuisance (for example, off-road bikes)
- Fly tipping
- Animal nuisance (for example, allowing dogs to stray or foul)
- Using or dealing drugs
- Harassment
- Verbal abuse
- Violence or threats of violence
- Damaging or threatening to damage property
- Drunken or rowdy behaviour
- Criminal activity.
- Abusive or insulting written or verbal behaviour
- Violence and threats of violence
- Vandalism to property or attempted arson
- Repeated and unfounded complaints against a person or group
- Activities intended to deter a person from occupying a particular property
- Abusive telephone calls or uninvited visits to someone’s home
- Placing excrement, rubbish, or offensive materials near or in the victim’s home.
A hate crime is defined as:
‘Any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice, based on a person’s disability or perceived disability, race or perceived race; or religion or perceived religion; or sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation; or transgender identity or perceived transgender identity’.
believe housing works closely with the police and other agencies to monitor the types of incidents reported and where they have taken place. This helps us to take appropriate action on our estates. If you see a hate crime being committed, call it out by reporting it to the police and to us. We’ll work together to make our communities safer places in which to live.
The following agencies can provide help and support:
- Stop Hate UK: 0800 138 1625 or website
If you or someone you know has been subjected to domestic abuse, please visit our domestic abuse page where you can find support and advice. We are here to listen and help, and we can talk you through the options available and offer access to appropriate services, support agencies, and security measures.
You can now report a noise nuisance to us using the free ‘The Noise App’. The app lets you record audio for up to 30 seconds on your smartphone. This recording will then be sent instantly to our Neighbourhoods and Safer Neighbourhoods Teams to investigate. You can download ‘The Noise App’ for free from the App Store for iPhone and the Google Play Store for Android phones. Once downloaded, you will need to register your account, and when prompted, choose believe housing as the housing provider. Once you’ve registered your account, you will then be able to submit a recording to us.
Please speak to us before submitting a noise recording so that we can discuss your complaint.
There are some reports that we may not investigate, for example:
- Reports of DIY noise at a reasonable time of day.
- Reports of domestic noise, such as vacuuming, at reasonable times of day.
- General household living noise, such as children playing.
Reporting antisocial behaviour
If you or your family feel threatened, or your home or property has been damaged, report this to the police on 999 if it’s an emergency, or by calling 101.
Once you are safe, if you are reporting ASB involving a believe housing tenant, or someone living in, or visiting, a believe housing property, you should report that directly to believe housing by calling 0300 1311 999.
In cases of noise nuisance, you can also report using the Noise App below.
If the person or people you are reporting live in an owner-occupied or privately rented property, you should report that to the appropriate local authority:
If the person or people you are reporting live in a property rented from another housing association, you should contact that housing association directly.
Support for victims and witnesses
If you are a believe housing tenant, and you’re a victim or witness of antisocial behaviour, contact believe housing if you need advice and support.
We may offer referrals to partner agencies or specialist support agencies. If required, we may also offer additional home safety measures such as window or door alarms.
When you contact us, we will discuss the options available to deal with your complaint and agree a plan with you as to how this will be taken forward. We will also ask for your consent to share information with our partners, such as the police or local authority, where appropriate, in order to assist with our investigation.
how can we help?
- We may consider a referral to an independent mediation service.
- We may issue a verbal or written tenancy warning.
- We may consider the use of an Acceptable Behaviour Contract (ABC).
- In serious cases, we may consider serving a Notice of Seeking Possession or taking legal action to bring a tenancy to an end, or we may seek an injunction.
Each case is treated on its merits and enforcement action will not always be appropriate.
The Antisocial Behaviour (ASB) Case Review gives victims of persistent antisocial behaviour reported to any of the main responsible agencies (such as the council, police, housing provider) the right to request a multi-agency case review where a local threshold is met.
In County Durham, for example, the threshold is as follows:
If you have previously reported three (or more) incidents of antisocial behaviour within the last six months and the antisocial behaviour continues, you can request a case review.
Please note : If the local threshold is not met, consideration will be given to the persistency of the antisocial behaviour, the harm or potential harm caused, and the adequacy of the response from the agencies involved. If your case is considered high risk, you may also qualify for a case review.
To request an anti-social behaviour case review and for further details of the local threshold and request process please click on the following link dependent on the area in which you live in:
Where an antisocial behaviour review is requested and the threshold met an independent chair will be appointed to lead a multi-agency case review. The case review will bring together relevant agencies to take a joined-up, problem-solving approach to find a solution.
Please note: This review process cannot be used to report general acts of crime, including hate crime and does not replace the complaints procedures of individual organisations.
If you have reported antisocial behaviour and received a service but are unhappy with that service or the action taken you should submit a complaint under that agency’s complaints procedures.