Reporting antisocial behaviour

Everyone should feel safe in their own home.

We want anyone living in or near a Coastline home to be able to go about their day-to-day life without feeling upset, scared or intimidated.

But, sometimes antisocial behaviour (or ASB) stops this from happening. If it does, we want to know about it because there are lots we can do to help.

What is antisocial behaviour?

Examples of antisocial behaviour include:

Verbal abuse
Harassment
Graffiti
Noise nuisance
Vandalism

All our tenancy agreements include terms that prohibit anti-social behaviour in our properties and estates.

There's lots more information in the featured documents section at the foot of this page.

Before reporting antisocial behaviour to us

If it feels safe and comfortable, first try and discuss any issues with your neighbour, as this can sometimes resolve the issue quickly and easily.

If this doesn't work, there are a number of options available to us to prevent and resolve any issues.

In most cases the problem is solved by a visit or phone call to the neighbour who might not be aware of the distress they are causing.

You can report any antisocial behaviour to us using My Coastline.

In an emergency

If there’s danger to life, if violence is being used or threatened, or if a crime is in progress, then dial 999.

Phone 101 or use the online crime reporting form to report a crime or other concerns that do not require an emergency response. If you don’t want to speak to the police directly you can contact Crimestoppers. They’ll take all the info but won’t ask for your name or any other personal details.

How do I report antisocial behaviour (ASB)?

Report via My Coastline

You can report incidents to us by phone, but we encourage customers to report ASB via the My Coastline portal, as these are routed automatically to our Tenancy Management Team, and allows you to report as 'first hand', in your own words.

If you're registered with My Coastline, report the incident under 'My Enquiries' and open a new case and select 'Anti-Social Behaviour Incident' as the case type.

Depending on the type of antisocial behaviour you’re experiencing, there are different steps you should take.

Keep records

Make notes of the time and place of incidents. Include as much detail as possible, such as who was involved, how long it lasted and if there were other witnesses. You can also take photos, as long as it’s safe to do so and won’t make the situation worse.

Extra advice

Citizens Advice offers a range of help and guidance.

Get the My Coastline app

More about antisocial behaviour

What is antisocial behaviour?

There are lots of different kinds of antisocial behaviour. It can be anything that is disruptive to you, the people around you, or your local neighbourhood and can relate to one-off incidents, but usually refers to problems that continue over a period of time. These include:

Arson (fire)
Assault and threats of violence
Brothels and prostitution
Criminal damage (including offensive graffiti)
Drug dealing and use
Noise (that is deemed a statutory nuisance by Cornwall Council)
Sexual offences
Verbal abuse / harassment / intimidation
Weapons (guns and knives).

Coastline expects customers to behave respectfully and keep to the terms of their tenancy or lease agreement. This means that antisocial or criminal behaviour can lead to eviction.

What isn't antisocial behaviour?

Problems due to different lifestyles or everyday living situations are not normally considered antisocial behaviour. Examples include:

Babies crying
Children playing
Cooking smells
DIY noise
Dog and cat fouling
Disputes (friends and family)
General living noise (doors banging, footsteps, etc)
Lifestyle clashes
Parking issues
Parties (one-off).

Is noise antisocial behaviour?

Yes and no! Noisy neighbours can be more common than you’d think. The main problems are caused by things like barking dogs, loud music, shouting, banging doors and DIY activities.

Remember, no home is totally soundproof so you’re always going to hear some noise from your neighbours.

If you’re being disturbed it might be because:

your neighbours are behaving unreasonably. Maybe they’re playing loud music late at night or letting their dog bark all day. If this is the case, this noise could be regarded as antisocial behaviour.
your neighbours are behaving normally. But the insulation in the floors and walls maybe isn’t good enough to cut out the sounds of everyday living.
you might be over-sensitive to the noise. Some people tune in to a noise and find it annoying while others don’t even notice it.

Domestic abuse

Domestic abuse is an incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour including sexual violence, in most cases by a partner or ex-partner, but it could also be a family member or carer. It is more common than people think.

Domestic abuse is a crime and should always be reported to the Police. The Police take domestic abuse seriously and will be able to help and protect you. They have the power to take action against people who commit the abuse and safeguard the public.

There is some assistance we can provide as a landlord. We may be able to help with providing additional safety measures to keep you safe in your home through the Sanctuary Scheme.

The Sanctuary Scheme

A police officer will visit your homes and recommend security measures to suit your individual needs. These can include:

Extra locks and bolts
Stronger doors
Spy holes or chains for doors
Better security lighting
Police portable alarm.

Hate crime

This is a criminal offence.

A hate crime is an incident motivated by hostility or prejudice towards someone because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or gender identity.

This can include intimidation, bullying, vandalism, verbal abuse, or physical assault.

All hate crimes should be reported to the Police by calling 101 or 999 and you must also let them know if you're concerned about your safety.

What we will do

Our priority is to keep you safe.
We will help our customers to report hate crime to the Police and work closely with the Police to resolve hate crime.
We can provide extra security in your home if you need it.

Cuckooing

This is criminal behaviour.

Cuckooing is a term used to describe a situation where criminals exploit a vulnerable person and use their home for illegal activities, such as storing and selling of drugs. The person may be threatened, harmed or abused by the criminals.

Signs to look out for