The Crime and Policing Act 2026: Introducing Our Anti-Social Behaviour Toolkit

A practical guide for registered social housing providers

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 brings significant changes to the powers available to registered housing providers for tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB), with the changes taking effect from 26 October 2026. To help you respond with confidence, we have prepared an ASB Powers Toolkit outlining the changes and what they mean for you.

The headline changes

Three changes stand out. First, providers can now issue closure notices themselves. Second, a senior manager can authorise a notice lasting up to 72 hours. Third, breaching a Respect Order is now a criminal offence that the police can enforce.

Why the toolkit is important for you

These powers allow providers to act faster and more independently than before, but they also place more responsibility on your own staff. Decisions that previously involved others may now be taken in-house, sometimes at short notice and out of hours. Every decision must be necessary and proportionate, take account of vulnerable occupiers and be backed by evidence that will stand up at a hearing.

The toolkit aims at helping you manage that risk. At HCR Law, our Social Housing team is on hand to help you navigate these changes.