How to report antisocial behaviour
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1. Overview
Antisocial behaviour is behaviour that causes harassment, alarm or distress to other people.
Local police, councils and social housing landlords work together to deal with antisocial behaviour. They do this differently in different areas.
What counts as antisocial behaviour
Antisocial behaviour can include both criminal and non-criminal behaviour, for example:
- noise
- verbal abuse, harassment and threats
- drug use
- causing a nuisance to neighbours
- vandalism
- graffiti
- fly-tipping and littering
- discarding syringes or needles
Who to report antisocial behaviour to
Who you report antisocial behaviour to depends on the type of behaviour it is and where it takes place.
Report it to:
- the police - if you feel threatened or you think the behaviour could be breaking the law
- your council - if it affects your local area
- your landlord - if you live in a council or housing association home and it’s happening in or near your building
Some issues may not be classed as antisocial behaviour. For example:
- neighbourhood disputes
- issues involving bins or parking
- one-off incidents
You can still report these issues to your local council, your landlord or the police.
There’s a different way to report antisocial behaviour in Scotland and in Northern Ireland.
Reporting other serious problems
Some serious issues can be mistaken for antisocial behaviour. For example:
- frequent arguments or shouting from adults could be domestic abuse
- children making frequent noise could be a safeguarding issue like abuse or neglect
There are different ways to:
Call 999 if you or someone else is in immediate danger, or if the crime is in progress.
2. Report antisocial behaviour to the police
Report antisocial behaviour to the police if you feel threatened or you think the behaviour could be breaking the law.
For example, if it includes:
- threatening, offensive or indecent behaviour
- a dog behaving aggressively
- vehicle theft
- illegal drugs or drug dealing
- vandalism of your home or other private property
- speeding or dangerous driving
Call 999 if you or someone else is in immediate danger, or if the crime is in progress.
If it’s not an emergency, report it:
- on the police website
- by calling 101 (from within the UK)
- by visiting a police station
- on the British Transport Police website if the behaviour took place on a train or at a train station
3. Report antisocial behaviour to your council
Go to your council website to report:
- a noise nuisance – including loud music or dogs barking
- abandoned vehicles
- fly-tipping or dumping waste
- dog mess in public areas - such as parks, playgrounds or pavements
- discarded needles, syringes and other drug-related items
- vandalism in your area - for example damage to bus shelters or bins
- graffiti in in your area
- fly-posting - putting up posters or stickers about events without permission
Check your council’s website to find out what other types of antisocial behaviour you can report to them.
4. Reporting antisocial behaviour to your landlord
If there’s antisocial behaviour in your building, how you report it depends on whether you rent from a private landlord or a social housing landlord.
If you rent from a private landlord
Find out about reporting antisocial behaviour if you rent from a private landlord.
If you rent from a social housing landlord
If you live in council housing or a housing association home, report antisocial behaviour to your landlord.
This will usually be either:
If you’re not sure who your landlord is, you can check your rent statement.
Find out more about getting help with antisocial behaviour for social housing tenants.
If you’re unhappy with their response
You can make a complaint to your landlord.
If you’re unhappy with how they handle your complaint, you can then complain to the Housing Ombudsman.
Find out more about how to complain about a council or housing association on the Shelter website.
You may also be able to request an antisocial behaviour case review.
5. Making your report
You’re likely to be asked to give more details when reporting antisocial behaviour to the police, your council or your landlord.
For example, you might be asked:
- what happened
- where it happened
- who was involved and what they did
- if anyone else saw what happened
- the date and time that the incident took place
- if this has happened before
You might be asked to give evidence when you report antisocial behaviour.
Evidence can include:
- a diary of events including times, dates and impact of the behaviour
- a record of speaking and writing to the person being antisocial
- witness statements
- videos, photos or noise recordings
- information from an antisocial behaviour or noise app, where you can log incidents as they happen
Reporting antisocial behaviour anonymously
You may be able to report antisocial behaviour anonymously to Crimestoppers.
Check what types of antisocial behaviour you can report to Crimestoppers on their website.
You can also check with your council or your landlord before reporting antisocial behaviour to them if:
- you can make the report anonymously
- any details you give will be kept confidential
After you report antisocial behaviour
You should get a confirmation of your report and an update on:
- what’s being done to investigate
- the outcome of the investigation
If you do not hear anything, you can ask for an update from the authority (the police, council or landlord) you reported the antisocial behaviour to.
Requesting an antisocial behaviour case review
If you’re unhappy with how your case is handled, you may be able to apply for an antisocial behaviour case review.
To check how to apply for an antisocial behaviour case review in your area, contact either:
Find out more about antisocial behaviour case reviews.
6. Get support and advice
You can get support to deal with antisocial behaviour from: