Antisocial Behaviour: your rights explained
Antisocial behaviour can make your home unbearable. Your landlord has a legal duty to investigate and take action. Find out how to report it effectively and what your rights are.
Get help with my complaintYour rights around antisocial behaviour
Antisocial behaviour (ASB) in social housing includes noise nuisance, harassment, threatening behaviour, vandalism, drug use in communal areas, and other conduct that affects your ability to enjoy your home.
Your landlord has a duty to investigate ASB reports and take appropriate action. This may include speaking to the person responsible, issuing a written warning, applying for an injunction, or starting possession proceedings in serious cases.
If your landlord fails to investigate or take action, you have the right to make a formal complaint, and to refer to the Housing Ombudsman if it is not resolved.
Key facts
What is your landlord's duty?
Social landlords have an ASB policy and must follow it. Under the Complaint Handling Code 2024, they must investigate all ASB complaints properly, keep you informed of the outcome, and take proportionate action. They cannot ignore a complaint. If they fail to act, you can escalate.
What counts as antisocial behaviour?
ASB includes: persistent loud noise (music, parties, arguments), harassment or intimidation, threatening or abusive behaviour, drug dealing or use in communal areas, vandalism, and hate incidents based on race, religion, sexuality, or disability. Minor disputes between neighbours may not meet the ASB threshold, and your landlord will assess whether it qualifies.
What action can your landlord take?
Action ranges from an informal conversation with the responsible person, to a written warning, to a Community Protection Notice (CPN), to an injunction preventing certain behaviour, to eviction in the most serious cases. Your landlord must take proportionate action, so they cannot evict someone for minor issues. But they also cannot do nothing.
What to do step by step
Keep a written record at every stage. Dates and written communications are your most important evidence.
Keep an ASB diary
Record every incident: date, time, what happened, how long it lasted, and how it affected you. This is essential evidence. Your landlord and the Housing Ombudsman will both rely on a documented record.
Report to your landlord in writing
Email or write to your landlord with a summary of incidents, including your diary. Ask them to confirm receipt and tell you what action they will take and by when.
Also report to the police if relevant
If the behaviour involves threats, violence, harassment, or criminal damage, also report to the police and get a crime reference number. Give this to your landlord.
Make a formal complaint if your landlord does not act
If your landlord does not investigate within a reasonable time or takes no action after investigating, make a formal Stage 1 complaint. Use TenantSafe to generate a correctly-referenced letter.
Escalate to the Housing Ombudsman
After Stage 1 and Stage 2, if the matter is still unresolved, refer to the Housing Ombudsman. The Ombudsman has upheld many ASB complaints where landlords failed to follow their own policies or communicate effectively with the complainant.
Get a formal complaint letter in minutes
TenantSafe produces a correctly-referenced complaint letter based on your specific situation, with the right legal references, the right deadlines and the right tone. It is free and takes less than 10 minutes.
Generate my free complaint letterCommon questions
Can I stay anonymous when I report ASB?+
You can ask your landlord to treat your report as confidential, but they may not always be able to maintain anonymity if a formal legal process (such as an injunction) is needed. Discuss this with your landlord when you report. The important thing is to report, because anonymous reports are better than none.
My landlord says the behaviour is not serious enough. What can I do?+
If your landlord closes your ASB case without taking action, you can make a formal Stage 1 complaint challenging that decision. Explain why the behaviour is affecting your enjoyment of your home and provide your diary as evidence. You can also ask your landlord for a written explanation of why they decided not to act.
What if the ASB is from someone who does not live in the property?+
If the ASB is from a visitor of a tenant (not the tenant themselves), your landlord can still act, because tenants are responsible for the behaviour of their guests in communal areas and immediately outside the property. Report the incidents and describe whether the person appears to be a visitor to a specific address.
Can I be rehoused because of ASB?+
In the most serious cases, particularly where there is a significant risk to your safety, your local council or housing association may be able to offer you an urgent transfer or emergency rehousing. This is rare and usually reserved for cases involving violence or threats. Raise this specifically when you make your complaint if you feel unsafe.