Antisocial behaviour (ASB) affects thousands of residents across the UK every day - but how straightforward is it to actually report it? In 2026, the answer is more nuanced than a simple easy or hard. The tools available have never been better, but the experience of reporting still depends heavily on who you report to, how you do it, and whether the right infrastructure is in place to receive reports. Ben Hunt from CMSG discusses this issue.
More ways than ever to report
The most obvious change in recent years has been the shift towards digital reporting. Where residents once had little choice but to call their landlord during office hours or dial 101, they now have a growing range of options. Dedicated apps, such as the ASB App, allow people to log incidents directly from their phones. Online reporting portals on housing association websites mean concerns can be raised at any time of day. AI-assisted phone systems now triage calls and route them to the right team, reducing the risk of a report falling through the cracks.
Perhaps the most significant shift has been the move to 24/7 out-of-hours services. Rather than waiting until Monday morning to report something that happened on a Saturday night, residents can now reach someone when it matters most. Services such as the ASB Respect Line have shown what this can look like in practice - not just a call-answering function, but a genuine human interaction that gives residents the time and space to be heard properly.
Accessibility at the forefront
One area that has genuinely improved is accessibility. The best front-facing reporting tools being developed today treat accessibility as a core design principle rather than an afterthought. This matters enormously. ASB disproportionately affects vulnerable residents - people with disabilities, older tenants, and those with limited digital literacy - and if reporting tools work well only for the tech-savvy, a significant portion of victims will continue to go unheard. Designing systems that work for everyone isn't just good practice; increasingly, it's an expectation.
The Police resource problem
It would be dishonest to discuss ASB reporting in 2026 without acknowledging the elephant in the room: the challenge of police capacity. For many incidents, the traditional route of calling 999 or 101 simply doesn't result in attendance. Residents reporting serious incidents - events that are, in themselves, criminal - are increasingly told it's a housing issue, particularly when mental health is a factor. This places enormous pressure on housing providers to fill a gap that isn't always theirs to fill, and it can leave residents feeling dismissed and unprotected. It's a systemic issue that no amount of reporting innovation can fully resolve, but it underscores why robust housing-led reporting mechanisms matter so much.
Proactive beats passive
The organisations that handle ASB best in 2026 aren't just waiting for reports to come in - they're actively inviting them. There's a noticeable difference between landlords who merely accept reports and those who actively encourage residents to come forward. The latter tend to perform better in audits and compliance reviews, not because they have less ASB, but because they have a more accurate picture of what's happening across their estates.
That said, actively encouraging reporting only works if the right infrastructure is in place. Without a clearly defined threshold for what constitutes ASB, an open-door approach risks being overwhelmed. Getting that definition right - and communicating it clearly to residents - is essential. Done properly, though, the short-term increase in report volumes is worth it. What comes back is genuine intelligence: a clearer, more honest picture of what life is actually like for the people you house.
A glimpse at what's coming
Looking further ahead, AI is set to play an increasingly important role in how ASB is reported and managed. From intelligent phone systems to automated case triage, the technology exists to make reporting faster and more seamless than ever. But speed and efficiency aren't everything. What residents consistently say they value most is the human touch - someone who will listen, take them seriously, and stay with them throughout the process. The challenge for the sector over the next decade will be harnessing AI's efficiency without losing the empathy that makes the difference for a resident who is frightened, frustrated, or at the end of their tether.
In 2026, reporting ASB is easier than ever. The question now is whether the systems receiving those reports are ready to match that progress. I’d welcome further discussion on this. Please contact me at CMSG!