I am being harassed at or around my home

Receiving harassment , whether it is from your landlord or people you do or don’t know, can make living somewhere very uncomfortable. There are a range of solutions available to you to avoid you having to leave your home.

It is very important that you do not give up any rights you have to live at a property, for example a tenancy, until you have taken and acted on professional advice. If you have to leave your home, contact your Council immediately.

Your first step in tackling harassment should be to contact the Police and your landlord if you have one. Many housing associations and councils have ways of dealing with harassment, and can also help you move if the situation cannot be resolved.

If you are being harassed by your landlord, the Council can take action to stop this. Under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 the law makes it an offence to:

* Do acts likely to interfere with the peace and comfort of a tenant or anyone living with him or her, or

* Persistently withdraw or withhold services for which the tenant has a reasonable need to live in the premises as a home.

A person who is convicted by magistrates of an offence under the Act may have to pay a fine of up to £5000, or be sent to prison for 6 months, or both.

Harassment can be one of the following things, although this is not a complete list:

* Withholding keys;

* Withdrawal of services, such as electricity;

* Failure to carry out repairs;

* Threats or physical violence from the landlord or someone acting on their behalf;

*Ongoing unannounced visits to the property, or letting themselves into the property without your consent;

* Illegal eviction without going through the proper legal procedure;

If you feel you are suffering harassment contact a Housing Options Officer.  They can contact your landlord and tell them to stop, and if they don’t the Housing Options Officer can advise you about further action.