The good neighbour guide
Tips for being a good neighbour:
- Think about the volume of your TV, radio and music equipment and the times you use them. If possible, use headphones and pull equipment away from the wall.
- Take care when closing doors, particularly if you live in flat. Avoid slamming doors, including cupboards, especially if they’re fitted to party (shared) walls.
- If you are planning a party or BBQ, warn your neighbours in advance and encourage guests to be respectful. Keep music at a reasonable level and don’t play it outside. Remember that you’re responsible for the actions of your guests.
- Try to do DIY at reasonable times of the day, keep noisier jobs for the daytime.
- Put your household rubbish in the bins provided, or organise a bulk waste collection from your local council or a licenced waste disposal company.
- Smoking is not allowed in any internal communal areas. If smoking outside, dispose of cigarette butts and ash appropriate and don’t drop them on the ground.
- Park your vehicle responsibly and do not block access. When driving, try to not rev your engine and only use the horn in an emergency.
- If you have a garden, keep it neat and tidy.
- Be a responsible pet owner and respectful to your neighbours’ complaints about animal noise. Some dogs may only bark when their owners are out so you may be unaware there is a problem.
Anti-social behaviour
If you do experience ASB try and speak with your neighbour if you feel safe to do so. If you cannot resolve the issue, you can report antisocial behaviour to us and your local Police force on 111. Remember, in an emergency, you should always call 999.
Talk to us
If you suspect domestic abuse or violence is occurring in a property, please contact the police on 999 in an emergency, or 101 if not. Details on the support we can offer customers experiencing domestic abuse are available here. If you have safeguarding or other concerns about the welfare of a neighbour, please contact us.
What we will do to help
When we receive a report of ASB we’ll do a fair investigation, listening to what each person has to say. We’ll also carry out a risk assessment to help us understand the level of potential harm to customers. And we’ll make sure that there is appropriate confidentiality for both victims, witnesses, and perpetrators.
There are then a few steps that we will go through, so of these are explained below.
- Support and encourage our customers to try and resolve issues calmly with their neighbours, if they feel safe to do so.
- Understand the victim's expectations and be honest about what can be achieved.
- Agree an action plan with the victim, with regular communication. We will consider; the severity and frequency of incidents, the evidence that’s available, the impact the behaviour is having, and what other intervention(s) have been considered.
- Depending on the risks associated with the case, we may involve Community Safety Officers.
- In some cases, we may need to take immediate action. In other cases, we may consider a variety of solutions, including legal and non-legal remedies.
Tools we may use to tackle ASB
Not every case of ASB is the same, which is why we will use different tools to deal with each case. Some of these tools are:
- Mediation and warnings, sometime talking about your experiences through mediation can help the other person to see it from your perspective.
- Creating ‘Acceptable Behaviour Contracts’.
- Civil injunctions – With or without notice.
- Community Protection Notices.
- Banning Notice.
- Committal proceedings.
We’ll also work closely with our partners, such as the Police and Council, to use their available tools.
