East Suffolk Council

Anti-social behaviour and tenants

If you wish to report anti-social behaviour involving an East Suffolk Council tenant, please contact Customer Services.

We encourage you to speak directly with the individual involved first, if it is safe to do so, to try and resolve the matter amicably.

In an emergency, please call 999.

• Report all other anti-social behaviour
• Report other issues such as excessive noise, smoke, or rubbish

East Suffolk Councils Anti-social behaviour policy (currently under review)

• View the Anti-social-Behaviour-Policy

What is anti-social behaviour?

The official definition of ASB adopted by East Suffolk Council comes from the Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014:

“Conduct that has caused, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to any person; conduct capable of causing nuisance or annoyance to a person in relation to that person’s occupation of residential premises; or conduct capable of causing housing-related nuisance or annoyance to any person.”

Incidents the housing team will investigate which could be a breach of tenancy

• Violence, or threats of violence towards any person
• Threatening Behaviour and Verbal Abuse
• Drug dealing from our property
• Deliberate acts to antagonise or cause harassment alarm or distress to another person
• Domestic abuse and violence
• Neighbour disputes (also see what we do not investigate)
• Arguing, shouting & swearing
• Criminal damage caused to our property
• Illegal or immoral activity including prostitution
• Anti-Social use of a motor vehicle within the vicinity of the property
• NB: This list is not definitive or exclusive

What we currently do not investigate

• CCTV, refer to the Information Commissioners Officer
• Children playing (in public or private spaces)
• People gathering socially
• Parking disputes (unless blocking emergency routes)
• DIY and car repairs (unless undertaken repeatedly and at unsocial hours)
• One off incidents
• Boundary or access issues – this is a civil dispute, and we recommend that residents seek legal advice
• Everyday household activities and or noise. For example, reasonable use of household appliances, noise from footsteps from general moving around within the property, children playing in a garden, ball games, babies crying, occasional dog barking
• Unkempt gardens – unless attracting vermin / pests (Housing Officers / Environmental Protection)
• Hate crime – as a criminal offence, Suffolk Constabulary may be best placed to deal with hate crime, however ESC may assist and support victims.

Examples of situations and behaviours that will not be investigated by ESC under the terms of the revised ASB policy (if adopted) and which are covered by specific separate legal controls (see the Council’s Compliance and Enforcement Policy) or other parties:

• Smoking of cannabis
• Noise problems in domestic homes where the cause is poor noise insulation typical of the age, type and design of the property

How we investigate complaints

If you have attempted to resolve the issue amicably but the problem persists, and a formal complaint has been received, it will be assessed by our ASB Officer. The complaint will be triaged to determine whether it meets the criteria for investigation. If it does, a case will be opened. Unless otherwise stated, you will be contacted via phone, email, or letter to discuss the matter further and agree on an action plan to help resolve it.

If you have reported the issue to the police and they initiate a criminal investigation, this will take precedence over any East Suffolk Council case. We work in partnership with local policing teams and often conduct joint investigations.

The individual subject to the complaint will be visited by the ASB Officer—or by a Housing Officer if the matter is deemed less serious—to raise the concern, offer advice, and, if necessary, issue a verbal warning to resolve the issue. If this intervention is successful, the case will be closed.

However, if incidents continue after initial contact with the alleged perpetrator, the case will be reopened. Further proportionate action will be considered based on the available evidence. This may include, but is not limited to:

• Acceptable behaviour agreement
• Community protection warning letter
• Extension of introductory tenancy
• Breach of tenancy written warning
• Community protection notice

Legal action which could include:

• Court injunction
• Full or partial closure order on the property
• Demotion of tenancy
• Notice seeking possession
• Absolute grounds of possession on conviction of a specific criminal offence

As part of our investigation process, you may be asked to complete an incident diary. This should include the dates, times, and a brief description of each incident. Initially, the diary will cover a two-week period to help establish the seriousness of the behaviour. If the incidents persist beyond this timeframe, we may request that you continue recording further entries.

In cases where legal action becomes necessary—such as applying to the court—you may be asked to provide a formal witness statement to support your complaint. Your account of the incidents and their impact on you is vital, offering magistrates or judges a direct insight into how the behaviour is affecting your daily life. Please be assured that you will receive full support throughout this process.