The Crime and Policing Bill received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026 and is now known as the Crime and Policing Act 2026. The new legislation has a very wide remit aimed at tackling the epidemic of serious violence and anti-social behaviour (ASB) and rebuilding public confidence in policing and the wider criminal justice system.
In an article written earlier this year, we explained how the proposed legislation was set to enhance the options available to social housing providers with regards to responding to and dealing with ASB. Those provisions came into force on 26 October 2026, along with revised Home Office statutory guidance for frontline professionals.
In this article we re-examine the changes in their final form and outline the key takeaways for housing providers. Among the most notable reforms are the introduction of three distinct civil remedies: respect orders, youth injunctions and housing injunctions as well as the extension of closure powers.
One of the most significant changes is the introduction of respect orders, a new civil remedy designed to address serious ASB committed by individuals aged 18 and over.
Respect orders can be used to tackle both housing-related and non-housing-related conduct but the court must be satisfied that the respondent has engaged in conduct causing or likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress. This is a higher threshold than that applicable to a housing injunction, which may be granted where the conduct amounts to a nuisance or annoyance.
Housing providers may apply for a respect order where the ASB directly or indirectly relates to, or affects, their housing management functions. Before an application is made, a mandatory risk assessment, including consideration of the respondent's circumstances and any vulnerabilities, must be undertaken.
Respect orders may include both prohibitions and positive requirements. In the most serious cases, they can also exclude a respondent from their home where the court is satisfied that the ASB involves the use, or threatened use, of violence against others, or gives rise to a significant risk of harm.
Perhaps the most notable distinction from the previous civil injunction regime is enforcement. Breach of a respect order is a criminal offence, enabling the police to arrest an individual for non-compliance.
With their flexibility, civil standard of proof and criminal sanctions for breach, respect orders could prove to be one of the most powerful tools in a housing provider’s ASB toolkit.
The new legislation also restructures the existing injunction regime.
Another significant change is the introduction of youth injunctions as a distinct remedy where respondents are aged between 10 and 17.
Alongside youth injunctions, the new legislation introduces a separate housing injunction which preserves a civil remedy to prevent persons aged 18 or over from causing nuisance or annoyance relating to the occupation or management of housing.
This distinction will be important in practice. Housing providers will need to consider carefully which remedy best reflects the age of the respondent, the behaviour complained of and crucially, the outcome they are seeking.
Another significant development is the extension of closure powers (closure notices and closure orders) to registered social housing providers. These powers previously sat with the police and local authorities.
By extending closure powers to registered social housing providers, the new legislation gives providers greater scope to intervene directly where premises they own or manage are associated with serious nuisance or disorder.
The reforms extend the permitted duration of closure notices up to 72 hours. Whenever a closure notice is issued, an application must be made to the magistrates court for a closure order. A closure order can be issued for up to three months.
This will be a particularly valuable tool in cases where premises have become the focus of persistent ASB or criminality, and immediate intervention is required. Whilst not a permanent solution, closure notices and closure orders provide breathing space for housing providers to identify a more permanent solution.
The Crime and Policing Act 2026 introduces a new standalone offence of cuckooing, where a person takes control of another person’s home for the purpose of criminal activity. This offence intends to address the serious exploitation involved in cuckooing, where vulnerable individuals may be targeted by criminals who take control of their homes and use them to facilitate illegal activities.
However, the new offence of cuckooing is not among the reforms which came into force on 26 October 2026 and, as at the date of this article, its commencement date remains to be confirmed. Nonetheless, housing providers should be considering the practical implications of the new offence for their policies and procedures
The changes introduced by the Crime and Policing Act 2026 and in particular the reforms which came into force on 26 October 2026, enhance the range of tools available to housing providers in addressing ASB. While the practical impact of the new measures will become clearer as they are implemented, housing providers should ensure that their policies, procedures and staff training are reviewed to make effective use of the revised regime.
For more information about the issues raised in this article and social housing management generally, please contact our property disputes team.
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