Antisocial behaviour advice for Portsmouth Homes residents

This information is for Portsmouth Homes tenants and leaseholders in Portsmouth, Fareham, Gosport, Havant and Winchester.

We take antisocial behaviour (ASB) and hate crime seriously. We want everyone to feel safe and happy in their homes and communities. We are committed to helping residents to live peacefully in their homes without fear, intimidation, threats of harm, nuisance, or unreasonable behaviour from others.

If you are not a Portsmouth Homes tenant or leaseholder, visit our antisocial behaviour section.

On this page

• Report antisocial behaviour
• What happens when you report ASB
• Tips for reporting anti-social behaviour
• Our ASB team and how we help communities
• Get involved
• Portsmouth Homes antisocial behaviour policy

If you feel you are unable to approach your neighbour or want to report antisocial behaviour (ASB) please contact the following: 

• call 999 in an emergency – if someone is in immediate danger, property is at risk of being damaged or a serious offence is or has happened
• call 101 for non-emergency police matters – report a crime that does not need an emergency response or to get crime prevention advice
• call 023 9282 4244 to report non-emergency issues outside office hours
• report online using the antisocial behaviour form

Report all incidents of antisocial behaviour to your housing or leasehold officer even if you’ve reported it to another agency.

Some issues may be resolved informally, if you feel safe to do so.

• What is and is not antisocial behaviour
• Approaching a neighbour
• Preventing antisocial behaviour

These pages explain what counts as ASB and when to report it.

We treat all ASB complaints in confidence and will listen carefully to your concerns. When you report ASB, we will:

• assess the situation, offer support and plan next steps with you
• contact the person responsible (with your consent)
• work with other organisations if necessary. This includes:
  • Portsmouth Mediation Service
  • Local Authority Departments
  • Police
  • Adult Intervention Project
• keep you informed and update you when the case is closed

We can refer you to support services if needed Some cases may need legal action, such as court orders or eviction.

Our housing officers work with everyone involved to understand what’s causing the ASB.

We will:

• work with the person responsible to see if they need support, such as mental health or addiction services
• always try to change behaviour before taking legal action
• If needed, we will act to protect tenants and make sure everyone can enjoy their homes in peace

To take legal action, like an injunction or eviction, we need evidence and witness statements for the court. Without these, we cannot move forward.

Gathering enough evidence takes time, and courts expect us to try other solutions first. Your reports and support are key to stopping ASB.

When reporting an incident to us, try to include the following details:

• date and time of the incident
• location of incident
• what the person or people have done
• description of the person or people involved:
  • number of people
  • their sex
  • height
  • build
  • colour and length of hair
  • distinguishing marks
  • ethnicity
  • clothing
  • name or nicknames if known
• any other witnesses
• how the incident has affected you or others

Our aim is to stop ASB from happening in the first place.

We help people change their behaviour by:

• offering support with family, finances, and mental health
• providing tenancy support to those at risk
• working with schools and community groups
• working with partner agencies

As a Portsmouth Homes tenant or leaseholder, you are expected to:

• not cause nuisance or disturbance to neighbours
• treat others with respect
• keep pets under control
• not behave in a threatening or harmful way
• not take part in illegal activity

For examples of what may or may not be antisocial behaviour, see the full list on our what is ASB page.

Our specialist ASB team supports both victims and those causing ASB.

The team:

• aim to help stop or manage behaviour that affects you and your community
• works with housing officers, councils, and other partners to resolve issues
• will attend key meetings where different agencies come together to tackle ASB effectively

We work with residents to prevent ASB by: 

• attending meetings to listen to concerns 
• organising community events 
• encouraging young people to respect their neighbourhoods 
• removing graffiti and fixing vandalism quickly 
• supporting residents to behave respectfully 

We also act against offenders by: 

• issuing verbal and written warnings and Community Protection Notices 
• working with the police and courts 
• using legal powers available to stop the ASB 

To avoid getting complaints of ASB about you or your household, you should: 

• not play loud music 
• not harass others 
• not smoke illegal substances in your property or communal area 
• keep pets under control 
• not cause distress based on race, gender, disability, religion or age 

You can find more information here:

• What is and is not antisocial behaviour
• Preventing antisocial behaviour
• Approaching a neighbour
• General CCTV information
• ASB formal interventions summary
• ASB case review
• Portsmouth Homes antisocial behaviour policy

You can help tackle ASB by joining our resident focus group or volunteering with: 

• victim support 
• witness support service

Your feedback matters

We may contact you for feedback after your case is closed. You can also share comments or complaints by speaking to your housing officer over the phone, in person or by email.

View the full Portsmouth Homes antisocial behaviour policy.