Anti-social behaviour

Under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, anti-social behaviour includes: 

• behaviour causing harassment, alarm or distress 
• actions creating nuisance or annoyance in a residential area 
• housing-related nuisance or disruption.

This can include a wide variety of actions, such as: 

• violence against people and property 
• aggressive and threatening language or behaviour 
• failure to control pets 
• frequent noise nuisance caused by loud music, shouting or disturbance from parties 
• graffiti, vandalism and damage to property 
• hate behaviour (targeting members of identified groups because of perceived differences, including race, sexual orientation, gender, age, religion and disability) 
• illegal or unruly behaviour because of substance misuse 
• intimidation, threatening behaviour or harassment 
• using a home for unlawful purposes, such as supplying or possessing drugs. 

Some everyday activities are not considered as anti-social behaviour, including: 

• children playing or babies crying 
• normal household noise (for example, walking on floors, appliances or doing DIY at reasonable hours) 
• disagreeing or having a fall out with your neighbour or when there is no evidence of who caused the issues 
• traffic or parking issues on public roads 
• cooking smells
• the use of CCTV cameras - find out more on the Information Commissioners Office website. 

If you need to report anti-social behaviour, please contact us, and we will work with you to find a resolution. 

We know anti-social behaviour can have a serious impact on your wellbeing, and we’re here to support you.

Below are some common types of anti-social behaviour and how you can report them. If you're affected, please contact us — we will do everything we can to help. 

You can report anti-social behaviour or let us know about a concern in the following ways: 

Send us a message via our online form

Email us: enquiries@midlandsrural.org.uk 

Call us: 0300 1234 009 

Speak to your housing officer or any member of staff 

Need support? 

If you or someone you know needs help or further advice about anti-social behaviour, please contact us.

We take the residents' and community safety very seriously. Our approach, although firm, is about resolving conflicts by understanding the cause, with a view to manage and stop anti-social behaviour occurring. 

We will use a variety of intervention measures before we consider legal proceedings where it's appropriate. 

When you report anti-social behaviour, everything you tell us will be treated confidentially.

The first time you contact your housing officer they will: 

• ask you for the name and address of the person(s) the complaint is about 
• ask for details about what has happened including times, dates and what was said or done 
• ask for details of any witnesses 
• ask you how this impacted you and/or your family and how this made you feel. 

What happens next 

• We will complete a risk assessment to determine the level of risk and appropriate response times. It will also help you decide if you need to report the incident to the police or any other agency. 
• We'll agree an action plan with you and update you on a regular basis until the case is closed. 
• If necessary, we’ll ask you to gather further evidence in the form of diary sheets or by using the free Noise App to record nuisance and gather evidence. 

Download The Noise App

High-risk incidents 

We aim to respond within one working day and carry out a home visit within two working days (where required). You may also need to report the incident to the police. 

Low- to medium-risk incidents 

We aim to make contact within three working days and carry out a home visit within two further working days (where required).