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Community safety (anti-social behaviour)

Community safety (also known as anti-social behavior)  concerns behaviour which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, distress, nuisance, annoyance or disturbance to others. 

It can include (but isn't restricted to):

  • Domestic abuse
  • Fly tipping 
  • Graffiti
  • Excessive noise (particularly at night)
  • Threatening or intimidating behaviour
  • Nuisance caused by animals
  • Assault or physical violence
  • Racist, homophobic, or disablist abuse of any kind

We believe that all customers have a right to live in peace in their own home and your neighbours also have the same rights. Thankfully, we have relatively low levels of community safety reports at LYHA, but we recognise that when it does occur it can have serious negative effects.

If you're experiencing a Community Safety issue, you can click here to report it

You can also click here for advice on getting on with your neighbours,

Frequently asked questions

What if I have an anti-social neighbour?

In many instances, talking to your neighbour calmly about the problem can resolve the issue without involving anyone else. Your neighbour may not realise that their behaviour is an issue, and simply becoming aware of it may stop them from being anti-social. 

Sometimes it is better to wait until the next day to approach your neighbour about the problem, because reacting when you're irritated can cause you to overreact and make the problem worse. 

If your attempts to resolve the matter don't work, you can report anti-social behaviour using our online Incident Log here. 

What happens when I report anti-social behaviour?

We take anti-social behaviour very seriously. When you report an incident of anti-social behaviour to us, we will work quickly to get the facts. In most cases your Neighbourhood Officer will contact you to discuss the details further and will treat all reports in complete confidence.

Performance Standards

​You can expect an acknowledgement of your report within 1 working day for hate motivated crimes, or situations where there is a high risk of harm; or in 2 working days of the report when there is a low risk of harm.

If more information is required or if the case is considered to present high risk of harm, you can expect us to contact you to discuss the case within 5 working days. This may be longer for low-risk cases. You can also expect us to agree a Community Safety Action, Support and Communications plan within 10 working days for high risk cases. If your case is assessed as low risk, this may be longer, subject to staff resources.

 

Why do I have to complete an Incident Log?

The more information we have, the quicker we can resolve the problem. Incident logs record the time, place and scale of the problem and can enable us to assess the severity of the issue and what action to take. They can also be used as evidence if the incident has to be taken to court. You can click here to complete an incident log. You should complete a new one for each time an incident occurs.

What are my responsibilities?

As a members of a community, every resident has a responsibility to respect and act considerately towards their neighbours.

As a LYHA customer, you are subject to the terms and conditions in your tenancy agreement. This agreement states that you are responsible for your own behaviour and that of anyone who lives with you or is visiting you, including children, whilst they are in or near your home. You/they must not:

  • Carry out domestic abuse of any kind 
  • Drop litter or dump rubbish anywhere on the premises other than designated bins or bin stores (please note that certain bulky and electrical items are not collected as part of your standard waste collection and you will need to arrange collection of these items separately with the council. Please visit your local council's website for more information on this).
  • Engage in criminal activity of any kind
  • Graffiti or otherwise damage any part of the property or communal area where you live
  • Threaten or intimidate anyone
  • Allow animals to cause excessive noise or create mess which is not cleaned up
  • Assault or engage in physical violence towards anybody
  • Carry out racist, sexist or homophobic discrimination, harassment or abuse of any kind

I have been a victim of hate crime. What should I do?

Anyone who lives in or visits a LYHA property or estate has the right to do so without fear or abuse. We do not tolerate descriminatory behaviour, harassment or abuse of any kind on the grounds of gender, age, religion, sexuality, race, culture, or disability. If you have been a victim of an incident motivated by any of these factors, please complete our Incident Log to report it. We take such incidents very seriously and will take action against anyone caught carrying out or proven to have committed hate crime.

I am experiencing domestic abuse, what should I do?

Everyone has the right to live without the fear of domestic abuse and we are committed to providing support and assistance to those affected by domestic abuse (emotional, physical, or threats and controlling behaviour). We take effective steps to protect those who are affected, including re-housing and taking enforcement action where necessary.

If you have experienced domestic abuse of any kind, or know (or suspect) that a neighbour may be experiencing such problems, please report this using our Incident Log or call 0113 278 3335.

There are also a number of charities who can also offer advice and support to victims of domestic abuse. This NHS page has further information about who you can contact.

How can I make sure I'm a good neighbour?

The most effective way to stop anti-social behavior from occurring is to build good relationships with your neighbours in the first place.

To be a good neighbour, you might be considerate, welcoming, patient and polite to others. It's important to be tolerant of people who have different lifestyles to you.

You can read our tips on getting on with your neighbours here.

What counts as anti-social behaviour?

Anti-social behaviour can range from serious acts of violence or drug dealing to more common issues such as:

  • Unreasonable noise nuisance
  • Neighbour disputes
  • Misuse of communal areas
  • Breaches of tenancy
  • Generally, ASB/ noise nuisance happening after 11pm would be seen as unreasonable

Noise or behaviour that is unlikely to be dealt with as anti-social behaviour includes:

  • Reasonable day to day living noise; talking in loud voices
  • Banging doors
  • Use of washing machines and kitchen appliances at reasonable times
  • Walking up and down stairs
  • Use of toilets / showers at reasonable times
  • Children playing

Everyday noise will happen and neighbours need to show a degree of tolerance for each other. Formal action on general, everyday living noises like the examples above would only be taken in exceptional circumstances where it was substantial and unreasonable.

What do I do if I'm accused of anti-social behaviour?

If we receive a report about you or a member of your household, we will make contact with you to discuss the allegations and what the options are to investigate them. We will discuss the evidence presented to us and listen to your side of the story. We will not make any decisions on the case without making attempts to listen to both sides and will ensure that our approach remains open, fair and clear.

We will only take legal action is a last resort, where we have exhausted every other option. You will be kept informed and supported throughout so you are aware of the actions being taken.  

What action can LYHA take against anti-social behaviour?

​The action we take will depend on how bad the anti-social behaviour is and how often it happens. Solutions available to us include but are not limited to:

  • Meditation and restorative justice: If neighbours have fallen out of a minor difference, we can work with specialist partner agencies to help both parties resolve the issue
  • Acceptable behaviour contracts: These are voluntary agreements between an individual and LYHA, although other agencies like the Police can be involved. They require the perpetrator to promise not to behave in a certain way. They are voluntary, but if they are broken they can be can be used as further evidence to support legal action.
  • Crime prevention injunctions and undertakings​: These can be court orders that forbid a person from doing something. For example, a person may not be allowed to go near a certain address or contact a certain person. If these are broken, they can result in the perpetrator being arrested by the police.
  • Possession proceedings: This is court action and can lead to customers being evicted from their homes. Before this stage, those involved will have had ample warnings to stop their behaviour. This is an extreme measure and will only be used if there is proof the customer has broken their tenancy agreement.

What if I'm asked to provide evidence in court?

Court action has the highest chance of success when customers or members of the public are prepared to come forward as witnesses and give evidence in court.
We understand that attending court can be a daunting experience and we will do all that we can to support witnesses through the process, including paying for loss of earnings and travel expenses.