The government has asserted that social housing landlords already have strong powers to deal with anti-social behaviour. This claim was made in a parliamentary written answer by Labour's Baroness Taylor of Stevenage.
Baroness Taylor noted that the Regulator of Social Housing's neighbour and community standard mandates registered providers to collaborate with partners to deter and address anti-social behaviour and hate incidents. She added that recent legislation has further enhanced these powers.
The Crime and Policing Act, which received Royal Assent in April, has strengthened the powers available to the police and other agencies, including measures for persistent offenders. Additionally, the Renters' Rights Act shortened the notice period for the mandatory anti-social behaviour eviction ground. Once implemented in the social rented sector, this will allow landlords to make court claims faster in such cases.
Government guidance provides examples of anti-social behaviour, encompassing both criminal and non-criminal acts, such as causing nuisance to neighbours, noise, verbal abuse, drug use, vandalism, and fly-tipping. However, minor issues like bin problems, parking disputes, or one-off incidents are not considered anti-social behaviour under this guidance.