Case study 2

The landlord was told about a resident living in the community who would come home drunk, play loud music at night and use abusive language towards neighbours. The landlord made arrangements to get all the neighbours together to talk about their problems and how the situation was affecting their quality of life. To resolve this situation, the landlord's antisocial behaviour team decided to use a restorative approach to mediation to try and resolve the issue. 

Everyone agreed that the situation had been going on for too long and that they would change their behaviours. They also agreed to talk to each other about any issues in the future, admitting that this is what they'd wanted from the beginning. The meeting ended with the neighbours all shaking hands and a positive feeling for the future.

Matters don't always need to go to court. Most cases are resolved through a mix of mediation, face to face meetings, and written warnings. People generally want to get along with their neighbours and work with their landlord or agency to help make that happen.

Every antisocial behaviour complaint gets investigated. Evidence will be gathered from other residents and partner agencies, including the police, which might involve using noise monitoring equipment, CCTV and professional witnesses.

If you're currently having some noise issues with your neighbour, we find it's always best to try to sort the problem out yourself first. It sounds simple, but try talking to your neighbour and sharing your concerns with them reasonably and politely. Most neighbours will respond to a reasonable request, and it's always better to try to work things out between you.