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ASB Toolkit

Animals and pets

We know that pets are an important part of many homes, but they can be a cause of ASB. When this happens we will step in to offer guidance and advice or take enforcement action. Generally, you are required to have written permission to keep a pet in your home. If you are thinking about getting a pet, please have a look at our website for further information on what you will need to do before you get your pet.

If you are concerned about the welfare of an animal, please contact the RSPCA. The RSPCA is one of the agencies that has its own statutory power to bring criminal prosecutions for the mistreatment and cruelty to animals.

If you are experiencing nuisance being caused by a pet, please do get in touch with us to let us know. Nuisance caused by animals and pets can include:

  • Excessive noise
  • Fouling
  • Smell
  • Biting
  • Aggressive behaviour
  • Out of control
What you can do
  • Report concerns about animal welfare and safety to the RSPCA as well as to us.
  • Try to approach the person and explain the issue and how it is affecting you.
  • Use the ASB App to record sounds, take photos and/or videos of the issue and create a log of the incidents.
  • If you are unable to access the ASB App, you can request ASB Incident Log Sheets from us by emailing ContactUs@lifestone.co.uk or calling 0300 303 1010.
  • Give us your permission to speak to your neighbour about the reports you have made.
  • Participate in any joint conversation or mediation if offered.
  • Assist us by continuing to keep us updated on what is happening and providing further incident reports if the behaviour does not cease.
  • If you feel threatened or unsafe at any time, or you believe a criminal offence has been committed, you should report this to the police immediately (in addition to logging it with u).
  • Provide us with the references from any reports made to the police.
  • If the issue relates to excessive noise, please see the section on noise nuisance within this Toolkit.
  • If you have tried talking to your neighbour but that has not resolved the issue, we can talk to your neighbour on your behalf.
  • We can send a letter to your neighbour explaining the issue and asking them to adjust their behaviour.
  • We might invite you and your neighbour to be part of a guided conversation to find a resolution everyone is happy with.
  • We can ask your neighbour to sign an Acceptable Behaviour Agreement that might include them undertaking a training course with their pet to improve the pet’s behaviour.
  • Work with the police and support them to investigate the allegations.
  • Carry out our own investigation into the allegations only where this will not cut across or impede any police investigation.
  • If a customer has a pet without permission, we can require them to remove it.
  • If we believe that a customer is keeping a restricted breed at their home as defined under the Dangerous Dogs Act, we can ask the customer to produce the relevant paperwork to prove they are in compliance with the legal requirements for registration of that breed.
  • Take appropriate tenancy enforcement action that can include applying to court for an injunction or seeking possession in the most serious cases.
  • Where we have enough evidence to identify a customer whose pet is responsible for fouling or causing the deterioration of communal areas, we may recharge the costs of cleaning to the customer responsible.
  • If you are able to provide dates and times when fouling has occurred in communal areas, we can check any relevant CCTV to see if we have anything that we can use as evidence.
  • The police or the RSPCA can forcibly remove pets in some circumstances.
  • The police and the RSPCA have the power to bring a criminal prosecution where they have enough evidence to demonstrate an offence has been committed.
  • The police have the power to enforce compliance with the Dangerous Dogs Act, for example, registration and other requirements.
  • The local authority’s Dog Wardens or Environmental Health team can investigate reports of excessive dog barking or noise nuisance relating to pets.
Click here to report ASB to us
Find out more about the ASB App
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