There are some incidents where a person’s behaviour affects the quality of life of the local community and/or specific individuals) indirectly or the behaviour constitutes a minor breach of the person’s tenancy with Housing Solutions. 

We do not categorise these incidents as Anti-Social Behaviour and we therefore seek to resolve these issues in accordance with our  Neighbourhood Management policy using methods of self help and early intervention. Examples of these incidents might include: 

• Untidy gardens 

• Noise nuisance which is not deliberate or targeted 

• Graffiti 

• Neighbour Disputes 

• Misuse of communal areas 

• Animal nuisance 

• CCTV nuisance 

• Littering & fly tipping 

• Vehicle nuisance including abandoned vehicles. 

The following issues will not be investigated. 

• Issues perceived to arise due to people’s differing lifestyles that are not intended to cause nuisance or annoyance. 

• Actions which amount to people being unpleasant to each other people or  people staring with no other associated ASB but are not sufficiently serious considering the likely harm caused to justify our involvement. 

• Cooking smells 

• Spreading rumours 

• Children playing in their homes or in the locality of their home or designated playing area. (Including ball games) 

• One off party 

• Parking disputes 

• Social media disputes 

• Incidents that we believe will be vexatious where there is a history or pattern of allegations unsupported by evidence by the complainant.

We will regularly inspect our neighbourhoods to ensure that any issues are proactively identified and resolved, quickly working in collaboration with our internal and external partners. The frequency of these inspections is detailed below:

The neighbourhood inspections allow us to identify issues such as: 

• Breaches of tenancy, including property condition, unauthorised property improvements, untidy gardens and anti-social behaviour 
• Communal Repairs 
• Misuse of the communal areas 
• Health and safety hazards 
• Fire safety or security concerns.

We welcome attendance from our residents, councillors, and other partner agencies during these walkabouts. 

2025/26 Schedule to follow 

Residents can engage with their local community through shared garden areas, and Housing Solutions will strike a balance between health and safety and their freedom to enjoy these outside spaces.

Bonfires are not permitted.

BBQs are permitted in communal areas subject to the following: 

• No disposable BBQs 

• Keep children and pets away from barbecues. 

• Never leave the BBQ unattended 

• Keep the barbecue at least 2m clear of any trees, dry vegetation, combustible material, flammable substances, buildings, sheds, and fences. 

• Consider having a bucket of cold water, a hose pipe or suitably rated home use fire extinguisher to hand. • Never pour flammable substances on a barbecue 

• Store gas bottles safely and securely, this must be a lockable non-combustible storage container e.g. metal shed, and it must be located at least 2m away from the building. 

• Barbeques must never be used or stored on a balcony. 

• The BBQ, once cold, must be removed following use. 

• Further advice is available on fire brigade’s website - Bonfires and Barbecues | Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (rbfrs.co.uk)

Play equipment must not be used or left in shared garden areas (such as trampolines, swings, climbing frames, paddling pools or inflatable play equipment such as bouncy castles)

Any play equipment left within the communal areas will be removed. 

Housing solutions will not be liable for any injury or damaged caused by the use off play equipment or BBQs (which we do not permit within our shared garden areas). 

Individual residents will not be permitted to erect their own sheds in communal areas.

We take all reports of fly tipping seriously and ensure that it is dealt with quickly and efficiently. 

We will seek to identify the perpetrator where the fly tipping has occurred on land we own or manage, requesting that the responsible person remove the items at their cost within a reasonable timescale. If these items are not removed, we will arrange for the removal of these items and a recharge will be raised to the responsible person to cover any reasonable costs incurred.

We acknowledge that CCTV systems may be needed to help prevent crime and anti-social behaviour and the growing demand for domestic CCTV systems including doorbell cameras to help residents protect their homes. Our approach to CCTV is detailed within our CCTV policy. (Link to CCTV Policy)

Untidy or unkempt gardens can impact upon the appearance of neighbourhoods and can be an indicator of poor property condition. 

We recognise that there are many different garden design and management approaches and therefore we would only classify a garden as untidy or unkempt where: 

• The garden appears to have been abandoned, left unattended or unkept for a period. 
• Plants, hedges, or trees have become overgrown impacting on pathways, highways, or neighbouring properties. 
• Waste is being stored or has been left in within the garden
  
  Following identification of this breach, should the resident fail to rectify the issue within the required timeframe, we will consider legal action to address the breach.

Residents must not park or store any vehicle in a way which causes obstruction or nuisance

We retain the right to remove any untaxed and or un-roadworthy vehicles parked on land owned or managed by Housing Solutions.

We will work with our residents to address inconsiderate parking. In some circumstances we may consider implementing parking management (subject to consultation with the relevant local community