Anti-social behaviour
What can I do if I am experiencing anti-social behaviour?
If you feel that you're the victim of anti-social behaviour, you should consider the following steps.
Consider the situation
Ask yourself the following questions to help assess the situation:
- is the behaviour persistent and ongoing?
- are others in the neighbourhood also affected?
- is it truly anti-social, or is it reasonable day-to-day living noise (e.g. a baby crying, children playing, or a one-off celebration)?
- am I being fair and realistic? Remember that people of different ages, cultures, and lifestyles may naturally create different levels of noise or activity..
Take reasonable steps
- often, issues can be resolved by having a calm, polite conversation. If you feel comfortable, try speaking to your neighbour directly. A helpful guide on how to do this can be found on Healthy Surrey.
- get involved in your local community. Initiatives like neighbourhood watch really make a difference to how safe a community feels.
- join your local residents' association. These groups can offer support, help share concerns, and work together to address local issues.
Gather evidence
If the problem continues and you decide to make a formal complaint, it's important to have clear evidence:
- keep a log or diary of incidents, noting dates, times, and details.
- save any written threats or communications related to the behaviour.
Accept noise monitoring equipment from our Regulatory Services if offered and appropriate to your case.