What is Anti-social behaviour (ASB)?

Anti-social behaviour (ASB) includes a range of nuisance and criminal behaviours that cause distress to others. Whether someone's actions can be classed as ASB depends on the nature, frequency, and intensity of the behaviour involved, and the impact this has on individuals and the community.

Our response and the actions we can take will depend on the impact the offending behaviour is having on individuals and the community. We aim to work with all affected parties to reduce the impact and enable everyone to have the ability to appreciate the quiet enjoyment of their home and neighbourhood.

Noise related ASB complaints can be common but are not always classed as ASB.

Is all noise considered Anti-social Behaviour?

Complete silence is unrealistic and it is common for residents to hear their neighbours and children. Problems often arise when people act without thinking about their neighbours and other residents living nearby. Reports about household noise such as children playing, doors closing, and furniture being moved would not be considered as ASB.

We encourage you to speak to your neighbour if you are experiencing noise, see 'I am having problems with my neighbour, what can I do?' for more details.

How you can reduce your noise

Some noise is to be expected. There are ways you could try to reduce your noise to help those around you.

Reducing household noise

You could try the following methods to help reduce household noise:

• let your neighbours know in advance if you are going to do anything noisy, for example, having a party or doing DIY
• use rugs on wooden flooring to help reduce noise that carries through floors
• add felt or rubber pads to movable furniture
• ensure your doors and windows open and close smoothly without banging
• if you listen to music late at night, wear headphones
• keep your music volume to a reasonable level, especially bass levels as they pass easily through walls, floors, and ceilings
• aim not to place your television or speakers next to a shared wall

Reducing animal noise

Leaving animals alone is sometimes inevitable, but it means they can get lonely, and regular barking noise can disturb neighbours. Try to avoid leaving your pet alone for too long and make sure they have plenty of toys to keep them occupied.

You could consider leaving the radio on to keep them company during the daytime, or you could arrange for a dog sitter.

The Dog's Trust has guidance on how to stop your dog barking, or you could read the RSPCA's guidance on how to train your dog to be left alone.

Limiting alarm noise

If your alarm often sounds without a clear reason this can disturb others. You can help limit unnecessary alarm noise by:

• making sure your alarm has a 20 minute cut out
• ensuring your alarm system is well maintained
• making sure your windows are firmly closed when you leave
• leaving a key to your property with someone close by who can disable the alarm, and leaving their details with your neighbours

How can I record noise?

We encourage you to contact the noise service as detailed in 'How can I report noise nuisance' so that noise nuisance can be professionally witnessed.

They will ask you to provide detailed information about the noise and how it is impacting you. This could be recording on a diary record, sent in by email or by using The Noise App. In all cases they need to know:

• What noise nuisance are you experiencing?
• When did you experience the noise nuisance?
• Where can you hear the noise in your home?
• How did the noise nuisance impact you?

If you have a case open with the ASB team about noise nuisance and you have a smartphone or mobile device, you will be offered 'The Noise App'. This is an application that can be downloaded on your smartphone or mobile device, and it supports you to record short recordings of noise, it registers where the noise is being recorded from your property and sends it straight to the council to review.

For more information about The Noise App, please speak to your housing officer or regulatory services caseworker.

My neighbour's dog is causing nuisance. What do I do?

If a dog or any other animal is causing noise nuisance, please refer to 'How can I report noise nuisance?' and 'I am having problems with my neighbour. What can I do?'

We have a pet policy that requires permission to keep some pets and some accommodation where pets are not permitted. Please speak to your housing officer for more information, or see our pet policy for more information..

If a resident has a pet that is causing nuisance other than noise, please ensure that the housing team are aware so can investigate this further.

If you are concerned about a dangerous dog, you must report this to the police, please dial 999 in an emergency or 101 for a non-emergency.

I am having problems with my neighbour. What can I do?

Complaints may arise around household noise such as children playing, doors closing, and furniture being moved. In most cases, these issues are not considered ASB. At the start of these types of cases, you will be encouraged to try and resolve the problem yourself if you feel comfortable to. An option could include, using dear neighbour cards. Download a copy below or collect from one of our offices.

Dear neighbour card (PDF, 41 KB)

Your housing officer may be able to help you to speak to your neighbour about the problems if this is something you would like us to do. In these situations, we will look at this option on a case-by-case basis, we may also refer you for mediation (see below for more information on this service) or conflict resolution support.

I can smell cannabis from another flat when I'm in my home. What can you do about it?

Recreational use of Cannabis is illegal, and the use outside of having a medical prescription or the supply of cannabis is a crime. All crimes must be reported to the police, details for the police can be found under 'How can I report ASB?'

If a resident is identified to be smoking or supplying cannabis in their home and this is witnessed by the police, your housing officer will explore enforcement action in line with that person's tenancy agreement.