antisocial behaviour

ASB includes a wide range of disruptive actions that can impact your quality of life. These include:

• Noise nuisance (for example, loud music)
• Vehicle nuisance (for example, off-road bikes)
• Fly tipping
• Animal nuisance (for example, allowing dogs to stray or foul)
• Using or dealing drugs
• Harassment
• Verbal abuse
• Violence or threats of violence
• Damaging or threatening to damage property
• Drunken or rowdy behaviour
• Criminal activity.

Harassment is different from general antisocial behaviour and includes:

• Abusive or insulting written or verbal behaviour
• Violence and threats of violence
• Vandalism to property or attempted arson
• Repeated and unfounded complaints against a person or group
• Activities intended to deter a person from occupying a particular property
• Abusive telephone calls or uninvited visits to someone’s home
• Placing excrement, rubbish, or offensive materials near or in the victim’s home.

A Hate Crime is defined as any criminal offence that is perceived by the victim or others to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on:

• Disability
• Race or ethnicity
• Religion
• Sexual orientation
• Transgender identity.

If you or someone you know has been subjected to domestic abuse, please visit our domestic abuse page where you can find support and advice.

We are here to listen and help, and we can talk you through the options available and offer access to appropriate services, support agencies, and security measures.

For noise complaints, you can now use the free Noise App to report issues. Simply record up to 30 seconds of audio on your smartphone and send it to our Neighbourhoods Team for investigation. The app is available for free on both iPhone and Android. Once downloaded, register your account and choose believe housing as your housing provider.

Note: Please speak to us before submitting a noise recording so we can discuss the complaint and review the situation.

Durham Constabulary offer a watch scheme called “Keep in the Know”, this is a free messaging service to keep you informed about issues that matter to you.

The aim of this initiative is to improve communication between the local community and the police services, enabling the prevention of crime and anti-social behaviour.

To find out more about this service click here.

We use various tools to address and resolve antisocial behaviour, depending on the severity of the situation:

• Independent Mediation: Sometimes, a neutral third party can help resolve disputes.
• Tenancy Warnings: Verbal or written warnings may be issued to the perpetrator.
• Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABC): A written agreement outlining acceptable behaviour.
• Legal Action: In extreme cases, we may issue a Notice of Seeking Possession or seek an Injunction to address the behaviour and possibly end a tenancy.

Each case is assessed individually, and enforcement action will only be taken when appropriate.

The Antisocial Behaviour Case Review allows victims of persistent ASB to request a multi-agency review when certain criteria are met. In County Durham, if you have reported three or more incidents within six months and the issue continues, you can request a case review.

If the threshold is not met but your case is deemed high-risk or serious, a review may still be considered. The review process brings together relevant agencies, such as the police, housing providers, and local authorities, to find a solution through joint problem-solving.

This process cannot be used for general crimes like hate crime but is designed to address ongoing antisocial behaviour.

How to Request a Case Review

If you’re eligible for an ASB Case Review, an independent chair will lead the multi-agency discussion to find a solution. The review process differs by area:

• Durham
• Sunderland
• Stockton

For further details on how to request an ASB Case Review or to learn more about the process, click on the relevant links based on where you live.