Spotlight report on noise complaints
This page provides a summary of the report. To read the report in full and view our recommendations, please download the PDF.
Published in October 2022
On this page
Report summary
Our findings show a clear unfairness. Most noise reports involve everyday household noise, not antisocial behaviour.
Yet many landlords still treat them as ASB cases, which leads to the wrong response.
This leads landlords to respond in the wrong way. They start viewing sounds like movement, intermittent music, or a washing machine running at night as antisocial behaviour.
Treating household noise as antisocial behaviour is unfair to all residents involved. It also stops landlords making consistent and reasonable decisions.
What is in the report?
This report focuses on:
- landlord policies and practice
- timeliness and communication
- modern living
- good neighbourhood management
- making a complaint
The case studies show the range of problems residents face, landlords’ responses, and our findings.
Landlords should use the learning from these cases to improve services and complaint handling.
The full Spotlight report
This page provides a summary of the report. To read the report in full and view our recommendations, please download the PDF.
Spotlight report on noise complaints – time to be heard (PDF)
Further learning on noise complaints
Noise complaints key topics page
Noise complaints are a common issue that residents and landlords face.
This page gives you practical tools to handle noise complaints confidently and effectively.
Landlords will learn how to respond to reports, take proportionate action, and maintain trust with residents.
Residents will find guidance on what counts as unreasonable noise, what steps they can take, and what good complaint handling looks like.
Noise training on the Learning Hub
Managing antisocial behaviour and noise complaints well is essential for community safety and resident wellbeing.
Our training will help you:
- deal with complaints fairly
- fix problems early using clear steps
- handle complaints confidently, using proven approaches to reduce harm and prevent escalation
- learn from real cases to make your processes better