In October 2022, the Housing Ombudsman produced their report, Spotlight on noise complaints: Time to be heard, which included recommendations for improving the way social landlords respond to noise complaints that do not reach the statutory levels of noise nuisance.
The report focused on noise that isn’t considered anti-social behaviour, such as noise travelling between homes, and to look at what measures can be taken to foster good neighbourhood relations.
We reviewed ourselves against the report and, in 2023, shared our action plan with you. This explained what we, as your landlord, would do to reduce and manage noise travelling between homes.
Our progress so far
- Working alongside the North Resident Scrutiny Committee to complete a full Anti-social Behaviour Policy review, we made changes based on their recommendations and advice from the Housing Ombudsman. We now complete a risk assessment for every report of anti-social behaviour (ASB) and prioritise our response based on impact and risk. We have made our ASB communications more informative and compassionate, invested in enhanced ‘noise app’ technology, and introduced extra checks for staff to ensure residents are informed and that we manage their expectations.
- We launched a welcome booklet for new residents, which includes a section about how to be a good neighbour and QR codes for more detailed information on ASB, making a complaint and accessing further support.
- We ran a pilot project to see if anti-vibration mats could be used in all empty flats above ground floor. The results showed that these mats are not suitable for every property, but leaving good quality carpets in place and removing hard flooring can help reduce noise for the flats below.
- We have refreshed our ASB training programme for resident-facing staff and are reviewing our structure and resources to ensure all these roles are equipped to effectively handle noise issues. This includes regular training on resolving noise complaints, managing expectations and having difficult conversations. We expect this review to be complete by early 2026.
Thank you to all residents who shared their feedback, ideas, and suggestions during this review. We will keep working to improve how we handle noise complaints and reduce noise between homes. We will also let you know about any important updates.
