Everyone has the right to enjoy their home and community and live peacefully alongside their neighbours. Opendoor Homes is committed to helping its residents to be good neighbours and build tolerant communities. Part of how we do this is to help residents tackle incidents of anti-social behaviour in their homes and around the community.

Before you make your report, use our antisocial behaviour toolkit to find out what steps you need to take.

How is anti-social behaviour defined?

The term anti-social behaviour includes nuisance and harassment (including hate crimes) but not domestic violence which has a separate procedure. Our anti-social behaviour policy states three main definitions of anti-social behaviour:

  1. Personal threat identifies incidents that are deliberately targeted at an individual or group.
  2. Public nuisance captures those incidents where an individual or group causes trouble, annoyance, inconvenience, offence or suffering to people in the local community in general rather than being deliberately targeted at specific individuals or groups.
  3. Environmental nuisance deals with incidents and inconsiderate actions that have an impact on our estates, for example graffiti, damage to buildings and structures.

If you feel you are a victim of anti-social behaviour or know any anyone else is please visit out ASB online form to report an incident. If the incident is dangerous or you are worried about your safety or others please call the police.

What is not anti-social behaviour?

We would not normally consider behaviour which results from different lifestyles or may not be considered unreasonable by most people as anti-social behaviour. We would also not consider behaviours where there is no action that we can take as a landlord to change the behaviour. These include:

  • People walking across wooden floors whilst wearing
  • Washing machine/vibration (unless late at night and repeated)
  • Vacuum cleaner noise
  • Mowing lawns
  • Playing football or other ball games outdoors
  • Children playing/arguing outdoors
  • Cooking smells
  • Family lifestyle e.g. talking in gardens, noise when children come home from school, differing lifestyles between younger and older residents, friction between day and night workers
  • Overgrown hedges and gardens
  • DIY work
  • Occasional events e.g. barbecues, celebrations, special occasions

Noise nuisance

Opendoor Homes are only responsible for investigating noise nuisances caused by our tenants. Examples of noise nuisances which we investigate include: loud music, noise from parties, dogs barking, noises caused by laminate flooring and incidents of screaming and shouting. If we identify there to be a statutory noise nuisance caused by one of our residents, we will work with our partners at the London Borough of Barnet to investigate this further.

*Please note that there is a limitation to the noise nuisances which we will investigate. For example, we will not investigate one off incidents or reports of noise from children playing during the hours of 8am to 11pm.

If your neighbours cause persistent and unreasonable noise nuisance and all attempts to resolve this informally have failed, then we may be able to act. Once you report a noise nuisance to us, you will be asked to complete a diary sheet, which can be found here.

To report a noise nuisance, please contact our Customer Contact Team at customercare@opendoorhomes.org or call 020 8080 6586 (phone lines are open between 8am and 5pm Monday to Friday).

Misuse of communal areas

We will ask you to work with us and the local police to try and resolve the issues. We may ask you to keep detailed diary sheets of all incidents. These can be used as evidence if we need to act under the tenancy agreement. We will need the names and addresses of the people responsible.

If we receive several complaints about anti-social behaviour in a block of flats, we may write to all residents seeking information and ask how it has affected them. It is important that you respond to our letters, giving us as much information as possible. Depending on the severity and frequency of reported issues we may have to arrange a meeting with residents and agree a plan of action to help resolve them. We would like to work in partnership with you and the police to make your neighbourhood a better and safer place to live. We need you to help us do this.

Please note that neither Opendoor Homes nor the police can remove people from the block if they are not committing any crime. Residents and their visitors have the right to use common areas to come and go at any time of the day or night.

Neighbour disputes

Without evidence of anti-social behaviour, it is very difficult for us to act. In neighbour dispute cases Opendoor Homes must remain impartial until such evidence is made available. In many cases of low level anti-social behaviour, people might not realise that what they feel are reasonable noise levels of everyday life may be causing you distress. We advise talking to the person in a tactful way and seeing if you can work out a compromise. We would not normally get involved in a noise nuisance case unless you have spoken to your neighbour and tried to resolve any issues between yourselves contacting us. However, if talking with your neighbour doesn’t work, we can provide you with practical advice and contact details to help you with what to do next. This may include us asking you and your neighbour to take part in mediation to try to resolve any issues.

Hate crimes and domestic violence

A hate crime occurs when a perpetrator targets/harasses a victim because they belong to a certain social group. Examples of such groups include but are not limited to: racial groups, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious, gender identity and disability. Racial harassment targets individuals or groups because of their colour, race nationality, ethnic or national origins and religious dominations. Sexual/Sexuality harassment includes domestic violence – we have a separate domestic violence procedure and please see our website for more information.

What you should be aware of and need to do before contacting us

Tenants

We have a clear policy on anti-social behaviour, and our tenancy agreement is very clear about your obligations, so please refer to it if you have any questions. We will use all available legal remedies to combat all forms of anti-social behaviour where necessary.

Leaseholders

Your lease clearly sets out your responsibilities on anti-social behaviour. Remember you are legally responsible for any breach of your lease, whether by you or anyone else living at or visiting your property. This means that, if you sub-let your property, you will be responsible for your own tenant’s behaviour.

How you can reduce anti-social behaviour

First try to solve the problem yourself. If you can talk to the person causing the problem without putting yourself at risk, this is often the best way and can stop things getting worse.

When you approach your neighbour, you should:

  • Stay calm
  • Explain how their behaviour is upsetting you
  • Be tactful – it is often wise to work out what you’re going to say before you approach them
  • Listen closely to what your neighbour has to say and take the time to think about it, they may have a point when things are seen from their perspective

If none of the above works and you think your neighbour is still being unreasonable, you should walk away and contact Opendoor Homes for further advice.

Mediation works

The story: Ms A, who lives in a densely populated tower block, reported to our anti-social behaviour team that the neighbour who lives on the floor above makes ‘unnecessary’ noise which includes dropping objects, excessive walking round her property late at night and banging doors. This started to have a detrimental effect on her sleeping patterns and she found herself being tired at work the next morning.

Our policy: Under our new policy and classifications we identified Ms A’s case as ‘low risk’ as it referred to household noise, which includes banging doors. In cases like these we provide advice and signpost residents rather than opening an anti-social behaviour case.

The results: As there was no enforcement action available we engaged with both parties to talk about the possibility of *restorative justice as a form of mediation where both parties could meet at a neutral location and discuss their concerns in front of a trained Opendoor Homes’ officer and a police officer.  We could act as mediators between the two parties giving them an opportunity to see both perspectives and impacts of their behaviours. As a result of being able to talk through their issues in a calm and understanding way they managed to reach a compromise. Since this session there have been no reports of further problems between the two neighbours.

How quickly we deal with reports of anti-social behaviour?

Our timescales and classifications when dealing with anti-social behaviour.

When you report anti-social behaviour, we will carry out an initial assessment. We will use this information to decide the level of risk and give the relevant advice at this time.

High Risk

Some examples of high risk anti-social behaviour include:

  • Hate crimes
  • Harassment – verbal or written
  • Criminal activity
  • Violence (aggressive behaviour)
  • Repeat victimisation

What we do: we will carry out a full anti-social behaviour report within 1 working day and ensure a safety plan has been completed within 5 days

Medium Risk

Anti-social behaviour includes:

  • Persistent gathering of groups in communal areas causing intimidation and/or noise nuisance
  • Vandalism/damage to property

What we do: we carry a full anti-social behaviour report within 10 working days and ensure a safety plan has been completed within 20

Low Risk

Some examples of low risk anti-social behaviour including:

  • Household noise due to everyday living between the hours of 11pm and 8am (e.g. babies crying, banging doors, washing machine, vacuum cleaner etc.)
  • Children playing football/arguing outside
  • Cooking smells
  • Overgrown hedges in gardens
  • DIY
  • Occasional events (e.g. celebrations, barbeques etc.)
  • Civic disputes between neighbours (e.g. boundary issues or shared driveways)

What we do: following the initial assessment and confirmation that the risk is low Opendoor Homes’ response will not be to open an anti-social behaviour case but provide the appropriate advice and signposting.

Keeping a record

Write down details of the incident(s) when it occurs.  When you contact us to report Anti-Social Behaviour, you will be asked for this information as it will help us deal with your concerns. Our diary sheets will help you do this.

 

Top tips for keeping the noise down:

Alarms

Alarms are designed to make a noise – however misfiring alarms can be a very disturbing and annoying.

  • Ensure you choose a reliable product and ensure it is serviced regularly.
  • Car and intruder alarms should have a 20-minute cut out.

DIY

DIY jobs – such as drilling and hammering can create a lot of noise.

  • Whenever possible, let your neighbours know that you are undertaking noisy work and try to work during normal waking hours
  • Carry out the noisiest tasks in the middle of the day – if you must start early, do quieter jobs first.
  • Keep tools well maintained and use lower/quieter settings on power tools where feasible. Where possible use hand tools.

Garden noise

Our gardens are a place to rest, relax and play. Remember that any noise you make in your garden will be heard by your neighbours.

  • Try and carry out noisy activities in the middle of the day for example mowing the lawn.
  • Where possible purchase quieter equipment and maintain your equipment properly.
  • If a child’s toy or game is extremely noisy, try and find quieter alternatives.
  • If you have a barbeque or party, tell your neighbours, invite them if appropriate, avoid amplified music out of doors and if anyone does complain, turn it down.  Either end your party or bring your guests indoors at a reasonable time.

People

  • Take care when closing doors – particularly if you live in a flat with a shared entrance – and particularly late at night and early in the morning.
  • Cupboard doors can also be a cause of noise nuisance – particularly if the units are fixed to party walls. Avoid slamming doors. Inexpensive adhesive furniture pads can be a very effective way of reducing noise by sticking these to the inside of the cupboard door or around an internal door frame.
  • When considering floor coverings, we ask that residents in flats do not lay laminate flooring.  Research has shown that when a carpet is removed and replaced with wood or laminate flooring the noise your neighbour in the property below experiences will increase significantly.

Loud music

Music tastes vary so do not assume just because you like a song your neighbour will want to hear it as well.

  • With amplified sound, keep the volume down, especially the bass which can be more annoying than higher frequencies. Don’t put speakers on or close to party walls, ceilings or floors.
  • If you have a bedroom TV, keep it quiet at night – especially if your bedroom adjoins someone else’s.
  • If playing an instrument, practice where and when it will have least impact on neighbours.
  • Where possible, use headphones.
  • Be mindful of open windows

Pets

  • Dogs bark – but only bark a lot if they are not content. If you must leave your dog alone, make sure it’s well exercised and fed. Some dogs like a radio for company, or get a friend or neighbour to look in. If your dog continues to bark, consider dog training.
  • Cats can wail and fight – as they are independent they can be difficult to manage – however if a neighbour complains about your cat at least try and keep it in at night.
  • If you have a caged bird that likes to sing and squawk, make sure it’s kept where it will least disturb neighbours, particularly at night.
  • Some caged pets tend to be more active at night -chewing and rattling their cages. Consider carefully where and how such pets are housed.

Household appliances

  • When buying new appliances, buy a quieter model – not all models have a noise rating, but look out for the “Quiet Mark”.  Where possible, position them to cause the least disturbance to your neighbour.
  • For washing machines, if possible, place on an even floor; do not overload and run the machine at a time when it will least disturb neighbours – remember the final spin is the noisiest bit.
  • Do the vacuuming at a reasonable time – especially if you live in a flat or terrace, avoid early morning or late-night cleaning sprees.
  • In the kitchen, avoid banging pans and cupboard doors and don’t use blenders/grinders on surfaces attached to party walls.

Entering / leaving your home

  • Avoid slamming front doors or communal entrance doors, particularly late at night or early morning.
  • If expecting a visitor/taxi, ask them to knock rather than sound the horn and try not to slam your door or car doors.

How we work with you to deal with anti-social behaviour

We are committed to tackling anti-social behaviour in our communities

Sometimes residents feel that the only way to resolve the anti-social behaviour they are facing is by asking us to move them. Our policy is to deal with the anti-social behaviour and keep you in your home while we resolve the issues.

Working together

Throughout any investigation we will keep you informed about what is happening. You must tell us about any further developments, keeping a record of incidents using diary sheets that we will provide. Please remember that some incidents of anti-social behaviour are extremely difficult to prove and it may not always be possible to achieve a positive outcome. For this reason, it is important that you provide as much detail as possible and tell us about any other people who may have seen or heard what happened. These details can be used later as evidence in court, but remember that judges will only consider incidents they think are unreasonable behaviour.

We will:

  • Take legal action that could result in eviction if this is appropriate and we have the evidence to do so
  • Only act against the wrongdoer once the complainant agrees to it, unless the anti-social behaviour affects other residents or we have a legal duty to act.