Housing association landlord refusing to deal with dangerous neighbour

[Queenofheaven]

Hi everyone, I'm in England and our landlord is a housing association. We live in a converted flat (3 flats and we are in the middle).

Our upstairs neighbour moved in straight from prison. He had been convicted for a violent robbery against a family and served 13 years. We've been complaining to the landlord since he moved in. He threatens delivery people, people in the street, people on the phone, blasts insanely loud music daily (it vibrates the whole house). He threatened to beat up my partner when we complained. We have to leave the flat whenever he plays music or is threatening to kill people on the phone. It has ruined our lives.

It has been 7 years and nothing was ever done. Recently he threatened to kill a teenager that was in his flat. He also kept screaming "don't you know I kill people?" Right outside our door. Random people on the street called the police (that's how loud he is)- and nothing was done, apart from his daughter was taken from him.

He has had people show up outside our flat with machetes looking to fight him.
I reported the latest incident on the day it happened and was told I'd hear back within 48 hours. I also made two formal complaints which were never responded to. It's been a month and I've just managed to get through to them. All they've said is they need "his side of the story" and to conduct interviews with him. I've told them I believe this is putting us in danger as he'll know we've reported. They also said his previous criminal history "doesn't matter".

When I spoke to our local police team they were much more understanding and said they wouldn’t contact him directly so they don’t put us at risk, but that ultimately it’s a landlord issue.

Steps I've already taken:
Reporting to the landlord multiple times, including formal and internal complaints- for years now.

Contacting the police and reporting incidents (I'm still in contact with a safer neighbourhoods team who are contacting ASB officers)

Sending noise recordings to the council via the noise app.

Complained to the Housing Ombudsman who is reviewing evidence.

I genuinely feel the landlord is putting us in danger as our doors are very flimsy and the communal areas aren't safe. I believe he has gang affiliation too. What else can I do? Please do not just tell me to move, I want to know what legal action I can take. I haven’t yet contacted my local councillor so I will try that tomorrow.

*editing to add: the music he plays is so loud it vibrates the entire building, the threats he makes to people are always very violent, he has been in breech of his tenancy for years and nothing has been done. The complaints I've made to the landlord have been about the ASB but also how the landlord is handling this and they have not been responded to.I also haven't included every incedent in this post as there's too many to list.

What are the police doing? This is criminal behaviour and you can't deal with that using a tenancy agreement - they should not be passing it all back to the landlord.
I agree an ASB review is the best way forward, contact the council ASB team direct and ask for one.

It doesn't help- but if he's been there 7 years the violent threats are all noise and bluster, if he's never been re arrested. I'm sorry you've had so long of this, but as others have said, they aren't going to move him, so staying on the swap list is pretty much all you can do at this stage, and try not to engage, since the housing association have proven they aren't going to do anything anyway.

I’m not sure honestly, they said an investigation is ongoing regarding the threats to kill and his daughter being taken away. They’ve also told me they’re trying to get through to the ASB policing team to see what’s being done, but it’s been a while.

You’ll have to move to preserve your sanity. It’s highly unlikely it will get resolved before your MH is in ruins. Can you not private rent? Lend money from bank/family/friends for a deposit? Move in with relatives?

What I did find really strange is that when the incident happened they didn’t take him into the station or even question him, just took his daughter and left. The police seemed scared of him. They were going to go into his flat but he asked them not to and for some reason they complied…

Mental health has been in ruins for years! Can’t borrow money or stay with relatives unfortunately. The rent here is so cheap that private rent anywhere will be an insanely steep increase. We may just about be able to afford a flat share

I'm in a similar situation OP. The drug dealer neighbour has assaulted my husband, and when he was given his summons to court he vandalised my car. The car was so badly bricked and slashed up its probably being written off. I'm waiting to hear.

The case goes to court later this year. But we have had months of harassment. The council have been useless. I've now blocked up my letter box, because the man is off his head. He beats up his girlfriend regularly so we hear shouting "please don't hit me" so he is known to be violent as the police attend on these occasions. Any yet.....and here is the bit that makes me angry, they have a small child and SW don't appear to have done anything either.

It's grim. I agree with JenniferBooth who makes a very valid argument about the allocation of social housing. Where once most tenants worked and had fairly stable lives, now the majority live very chaotic lives and have multiple vulnerabilities. I've always had some empathy having worked with LAC and in drug and alcohol services. But living alongside these people is misery.

I'm trying to move and can afford to do so. But that isn't without its problems because most of the people I've spoken to live their own chaotic lives and are either incapable of forward planning, or just want you to pay their rent arrears for them.

@KeebabSpider So sorry to hear that. A neighbour of ours was moved on when her violent ex torched her car but that was back in the mid 90s so a long time ago.

That’s absolutely awful! It amazes me that people like this seem to be able to do whatever they want and terrorise everyone around them with no consequences at all. I hope you can move soon, what a nightmare.

I'm sorry OP. What a nightmare. I hope the police and the CPS are able to get him prosecuted. Surely they should because of the threats to kill, and the harassment and causing your partner to feel fear for his safety by threatening to beat him up?

What I don't understand about allocation of social housing is how a violent bully like your neighbour seemed to have higher priority than people who aren't dangerous or violent but in desperate need.

He got it straight from prison (after serving time for a violent offence) yet there was a thread a couple of weeks ago on here from a woman fleeing DV with her child. She was going to have to give up her job to go to a refuge because she'd been told there was no social housing available.

So although I agree with previous posts that social housing should never have been welfarised, reduced in availability, and seen as only for those most desperate (it hould be more mixed incomes) it doesn't even seem like the most vulnerable are getting it. I'd say a woman fleeing DV is more vulnerable than someone like your neighbour.

Anyway I hope there's something the police can do for you OP.

It’s baffling! He should have gone straight to a halfway house, it’s completely inappropriate for him to be living here. The landlord seems to view ex-offenders as “vulnerable” though which is just a joke.

He may well have been in an Approved Premises initially, but again if he was released at the end of his sentence then he could not legally be forced into an AP nor be subject to Probation etc.

Ex prisoners are indeed treated as vulnerable people, especially after a long sentence where the world has moved in an they need to learn the changes in technology and so on. It also sounds as though this chap has mental health issues which may also be making things more complicated.

None of this is said in his defence, but you need to be aware of how things are looked at by the agencies you're dealing with.

Just set off the ASB review today and go from there.

I hear this a lot and it is so disappointing when HAs fail to manage these situations. Yes they have to take their share of otherwise unhousable people, but they also need to keep them moving so no other tenants get stuck with them permanently.

He should have been moved on when his daughter was removed and he no longer needed to live in a family area. He could now be better housed in a unit for problem adults.

Ex prisoners are indeed treated as vulnerable people, especially after a long sentence where the world has moved in an they need to learn the changes in technology and so on

More vulnerable than their victims? Who often have to wait a long time for housing? And who also need help to learn how to live again especially after the world has moved on. Sometimes not right with those allocations priorities.

As awful as it sounds, next time someone comes round to fight him. Buzz them in. Sounds like he needs a taste of his own medicine

It's all about rehabilitation. Trying to ensure prisoners don't just run on a treadmill of in and out of prison forevermore.

I'm not suggesting l approve of all the policies, but the reality is that throwing someone out of prison onto the street absolutely guarantees they will reoffend. They do try as agencies to get people on the right path.

This chap has been out of prison for 7 years. It doesn't mean he's an angel, not that he's a nice guy or even not offending, but 7yrs out of prison after a long stretch is pretty good going tbh.... He's managed to keep out of serious trouble for a while even if he is deeply unpleasant. Having a kid removed from your care doesn't equate to a prison sentence in most cases.

He clearly needs to be dealt with though and OP has been given good advice from many quarters about how to get this process started properly.

@Againname there was a post from someone who works in housing on a thread of mine (the childfree thread) explaining why its more important to house these men more than it is vulnerable women. It is just in case they latch on to some single mum and move in with her. Im not even joking Seems these men are housed due to a scenario that hasnt even happened yet over an actual situation that a single parent is actually in like temp accomodation.

And i know we are already in agreement about the childfree being bottom of the pile. Policies like this put them even further down the list too.

Yeah in theory, but in reality he abuses his girlfriends and his mum. He’s just found ways to be a criminal that won’t end up in being sent to prison. The people he targets are too scared and vulnerable to report. He’s got smarter not better, and I suspect that’s the case with many ex offenders. He seems to be up to all kinds of dodgy things in vans with people coming round too, I’m sure he’s still offending.

I find my HA is absolutely excellent.............at proving me right. On Sunday i said to DH Whats the betting they suddenly decide to change the fuse box now there is a heatwave. Lo and behold they turned up today with no notice. Expecting me to have my fridge freezer and chest freezer turned off for HOURS in this sauna of a flat. No no NO! the electrical check was done back in JANUARY five months ago. An isolater was fitted at the beginning of last month also by a contractor who turned up with no notice and electric was turned off for that but this is a longer job.

They have had five months. FIVE MONTHS we have had a cool spring. This flat gets far too hot in the summer to be turning the bloody fridge and chest freezer off.

I agree with those suggesting that your contact your MP.

Ah but women just arent important

OP have you complained to the regulator? Housing ombudsman is the right way to go, but no harm in contacting the social housing regulator too:

www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-make-a-referral-to-us

Sure you know to record every incident, and get police involved. Sounds horrendous and totally unfair

I hadn’t heard of this actually so I will definitely pursue it! Thank you

Yes it’s honestly been shocking. For some reason we weren’t assigned an ASB officer by the landlord and the case went straight to our community housing officer who wouldn’t listen at all and kept insisting on directly contacting the neighbour to “get his side of the story”, even though we’ve told him this will put us in danger.

He also refused to contact the police or any other services. He seems to want us to do his investigation for him. We’ve had to complain about him and get his manager involved and request a dedicated ASB officer and to be properly safeguarded. I’m losing hope with it all.