This page explains what happens when you report antisocial behaviour to us.
Tackling antisocial behaviour and tenancy breaches:
Our Neighbourhood Safety and Enforcement Service can help to deal with antisocial behaviour in our neighbourhoods and when a tenancy breach is identified or reported.
We’re committed to resolving all cases of antisocial behaviour and tenancy breaches that involve our customers.
Here's what we'll do when issues are reported:
When you report antisocial behaviour to us, we’ll:
1. Record, assess, and prioritise appropriate action for all the reports we receive.
2. Ensure victims are supported and kept up to date.
3. Work in close partnership with other services.
4. Take appropriate action against offenders.
What counts as antisocial behaviour or a breach of tenancy?
In our Antisocial Behaviour and Enforcement Policy*, we consider the following to be some of the main examples of antisocial behaviour and tenancy breaches.
*You can tap here to view all our policies, including our Antisocial Behaviour and Enforcement Policy.
What we consider as antisocial behaviour is consistent with how it’s defined under Section 2 of the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
What do we class as antisocial behaviour?
- Noise nuisance (beyond reasonable household noise).
- Physical assault and violent behaviour.
- Harassing and intimidating people.
- Verbal abuse and aggressive behaviour.
- Threats of violence.
- Criminal damage and vandalism.
- Hate behaviour.
- Domestic abuse.
What do we class as a tenancy breach?
- Untidy gardens and environmental hazards.
- Problems caused by animals, such as fouling, uncontrolled behaviour or persistent barking.
- Property condition failing to meet the minimum standard.
- Alterations to property without permission creating a risk.
- Refusing access for a property inspection or essential safety works.
- Tenancy or property fraud.
- Damage or misuse of property creating risk (meter tampering, hoarding, etc).
What don't we consider as antisocial behaviour or a breach of tenancy?
- Dog barking that's not continuous or happening regularly.
- Cooking smells.
- A one-off party, such as a birthday celebration.
- Children playing.
- A baby crying.
- People doing DIY at a reasonable time of day.
- Noise from medical equipment.
- Online bullying.
- Disputes over social media.
- Parking disputes or civil disputes with neighbours.
What will you do if I report hate crime?
We condemn all forms of hate crime and help to ensure our customers can enjoy living free from victimisation and abuse.
A hate crime is any incident or criminal offence that a victim or witness feels is motivated by a hatred or prejudice of someone’s:
- Disability.
- Race, colour, or ethnic origin.
- Religion, faith, or belief.
- Sexual orientation or sexuality.
- Gender or gender identity.
- Lifestyle/alternative subculture.
Hate crime can take many forms including physical attacks or the threat of an attack, verbal abuse, or insults.
When you tell us about hate crime, we’ll make sure any incidents reported to us are sensitively investigated, providing victims with appropriate support, and making referrals to/sharing information with the Police and partner services wherever appropriate. You can also report hate crime on the True Vision website.
We’re committed to reducing the harm caused by hate crime through tackling hatred and supporting victims.
Answers to your questions:
Where do I report antisocial behaviour?
- We’re committed to resolving all cases of antisocial behaviour or tenancy breaches that involve our customers. However, investigating antisocial behaviour and taking enforcement action often needs the efforts of more than one agency.
For example, environmental issues may need to be investigated in partnership with agencies like the local council. Examples may include fly-tipping (you can tap here to learn more about tackling fly-tipping), vehicle nuisance, and parking disputes.
If – following a report and investigation – there’s insufficient evidence, we as a landlord won’t be able to take action. In these cases, we’ll advise you on the reason and signpost to relevant alternatives – including seeking your own legal advice where appropriate.
Before you proceed: please remember that serious crime, such as suspected drug crime and violent crime, should be reported direct to the Police, who have greater investigatory powers and tools.
You can report a crime to Greater Manchester Police by tapping here or search ‘report a crime’ to find your local police force’s reporting system. Always call 999 if someone’s in immediate danger.
Where do I report suspected drug crime?
- The Police have the statutory powers and lead on investigating drug crime. This includes the use of cannabis, which is a Class B drug.
Please report any drug-related incidents through Crimestoppers (anonymously) on 0800 555111 or tap here to make an anonymous report on the Crimestoppers website.
While we’ll work with our Be Safe partners to tackle drug crime, it’s the Police who’ll need to investigate reports of drug crime either at a property we manage or in the local area.
If you report drug crime to us, we’ll share the information you provide with the Police.
Remember: you can report crime anonymously and the report will be logged and recorded. All reports will help the Police identify hotspot areas of drug crime that may require Police resources to be targeted.
We (Be One Homes) don’t lead on drug crime, but we’ll open an antisocial behaviour case should any evidence of drug crime be linked to a property we own and if the crime is confirmed by the Police and/or court.
What approach will you (Be One Homes) take to noise complaints?
- We’ll investigate noise complaints to ascertain if the noise is ongoing, persistent, and would constitute antisocial behaviour and not normal household noise.
We accept that tolerance to noise will vary from person to person, and that customers living in a communal environment will experience a certain level of noise due to the nature of communal/shared living spaces.
We’ve delivered training to officers that’ll support them to recognise and manage cases where a customer has support needs or a disability. In these cases, customers may be more sensitive to noise and have lower tolerance levels due to their disability.
In cases where the noise level is proved not to be at a threshold that would constitute antisocial behaviour, we’ll always signpost you to other support services that can assist customers to manage their tenancies.
Tap here for more information on our approach to noise complaints.
What happens after I've reported antisocial behaviour?
- We have a firm but fair approach in dealing with antisocial behaviour. This means we focus on early intervention and prevention before progressing on to opening a case and carrying out an investigation.
If appropriate, we’ll offer mediation and other conflict coaching options as early as possible. You can tap here to learn more about mediation.
We always prioritise the most serious cases of antisocial behaviour.
We’re a core member of the Be Safe Partnership and work closely with statutory organisations (like the Police and local authorities) to tackle antisocial behaviour. We’ll use all available and appropriate legal powers available to us to tackle antisocial behaviour, but please be aware we aren’t a statutory body (like the Police or a local authority). This means taking legal action as a landlord can take time.
In responding to reports of antisocial behaviour, we’ll also need to assess whether the victim and/or perpetrator of antisocial behaviour is vulnerable, has a disability, and/or another support need.
As a social landlord, we’ll rehouse customers with support needs and work closely with support services. As such, the court will expect us to consider vulnerability and support needs under equality law. We’ll need to evidence we’ve taken the disability and support needs of individuals into account when pursuing legal action as a landlord, which may also increase timescales for legal action.
How will I be kept informed once I've reported antisocial behaviour?
- When you report antisocial behaviour, we’ll do our utmost to keep you informed about the action we intend to take, and the progress made.
There may be instances where, due to privacy and data protection issues, we won’t be able to share some information with you.
However, please be assured we’ll be working to progress every case as best we can. We’d encourage you to keep in touch with us if the antisocial behaviour that you have reported is ongoing or getting worse.
Remember: if legal action is pending, please remember that this can take time and, as such, you’ll need to continue reporting and recording evidence until the case goes to court.
Do I need to pay for support with antisocial behaviour?
- There's no cost to you for antisocial behaviour cases.
Because we recognise that antisocial behaviour can have profound impacts on the lives of residents – including their mental and physical health and wellbeing – your rent covers the cost of our Neighbourhood Safety and Enforcement Service.
While we take between 3,000 to 3,500 reports per year and carry around 400 to 450 cases at any one time, the majority of cases reported are resolved early with no escalation or the need for any legal action.
For those cases that cannot be resolved early through non legal interventions, the cost will increase as the case progresses, and it’ll rise significantly if it continues to court (we have a policy of seeking our costs from tenants we have to take to court).
The total cost of an antisocial behaviour or tenancy breach case will depend on what resources were deployed in the case. Costs can include officer time/pay, meetings with other professionals, installing CCTV and noise recording devices, delivering mediation sessions, recharge costs, and the costs of taking any legal action where necessary (including paying for a solicitor and/or barrister).
Remember: the court and the judge will expect us to explore all possible measures to resolve the case before any legal action is undertaken (that could lead to a tenant losing their home). Legal action is always considered a last resort.
Here are some average costs incurred when acting against antisocial behaviour and/or tenancy breaches:
- Opening a new antisocial behaviour or tenancy breach case: £500
- Early resolution measures (such as mediation): £500 to £800
- Investigation, officer time/pay, and installing CCTV and/or noise recording devices: £1,000 to £3,000
- Injunction application to court and associated legal work: £2,000 to £4,000
- Possession claim and associated legal work: £5,000 to £20,000
What if I'm not happy with the Neighbourhood Safety and Enforcement Service?
- We want you to be happy with the service we provide and we want to know when we get things right. We also want to improve on what we do by building on our successes and learning from our mistakes.
If we fail to deliver on our promises, you may wish to complain. If you’d like to make a complaint, tap here.
Could you or someone you know be a victim of Cuckooing?
- Cuckooing is where organised criminals take over the home of a vulnerable adult for criminal activities. These can include storing, consuming, or dealing drugs, engaging in sex work, using the property as a residence for criminals, and financially abusing the tenant.
The most common form of Cuckooing is where drug dealers take over a person’s home and use it to store or distribute drugs. In some cases, criminals will move into a person’s home and pay other neighbours to watch the person(s) coming and going from the property.
What are some common signs of Cuckooing?
- A possible increase in antisocial behaviour.
- Frequent visitors at unsociable hours.
- Signs of drug use, such as unusual smells coming from the property.
- Changes in the resident's daily routine.
- Not seeing the resident, and when you do, they seem anxious with a noticeable change in behaviour.
- Suspicious or unfamiliar vehicles outside an address.
What should I do if I suspect Cuckooing?
Notice the signs:
Look out for your neighbours, especially if there’s been a change in behaviour. Spot the signs listed previously.
Evidence your concerns:
Make a note of your concerns, times, dates, what has happened, and identity or names of people coming in and out.
Stay safe:
It is important that you stay safe. Do not approach any of the people you believe may be Cuckooing your neighbour or take photographs.
Protect yourself and others from Cuckooing by reporting it:
Your safety and the safety of others is our top priority. If you suspect Cuckooing, please report it immediately – we’re here to help.
You can report suspected Cuckooing to us (Be One Homes) using 01204 328000, Greater Manchester Police using 101, or 999 in an emergency, or CrimeStoppers using 0800 555 111.
Have you checked out our Good Neighbour Guide?
We want to make sure you’re comfortable in your home and enjoy being a part of your community. Living side by side with neighbours can sometimes result in challenges or disagreements – so, understanding each other’s differences is key to living peacefully in your home.
Designed in collaboration with customers, our Good Neighbour Guide contains our top tips and pieces of advice for building good relationships with your neighbours.
