What you can do and what we will do
Everyone has the right to feel safe and respected in their home. This applies whether you are a council tenant, housing association tenant, private tenant or homeowner.
What you can do
If you are affected by antisocial behaviour, here are steps you can take:
Speak to the person (if safe to do so)
- they may not realise they are causing a problem
- try to agree on a solution informally
Keep a diary
- note dates, times and what happened
- this helps if you need to escalate the issue
Get support
- call us on 01349 886602 to report serious or ongoing antisocial behaviour
- email: housing@highland.gov.uk
- contact Citizens Advice or Shelter Scotland for independent advice
- report criminal activity such as violence or drugs to Police Scotland – 101 or 999
What we will do when you report it
We respond differently depending on who is causing the behaviour:
If the person is a council or housing association tenant
- we contact their landlord and investigate any breach of tenancy conditions
If the person is a private tenant
- we contact the landlord and may require them to act
- we can use enforcement powers if needed
If the person is a homeowner or visitor
- we may engage directly or work with the police and other agencies
Actions we may take
Depending on the situation, we may:
- offer mediation to help resolve neighbour disputes
- agree an acceptable behaviour contract (ABC) to stop specific behaviours
- issue warnings or take enforcement action if problems continue
- apply to evict a tenant for persistent antisocial conduct
- apply for an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) to legally restrict behaviour
Breaching an ASBO is a criminal offence and could lead to prosecution or imprisonment.
When we will escalate
We will take further action when:
- there is repeated or serious antisocial behaviour
- mediation and early intervention do not work
- there is enough evidence to show persistent distress or harm
We may hold multi-agency meetings to assess support needs and coordinate enforcement.