The government has released a new action plan aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour amongst tenants. The report cites a survey conducted by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities which found that over one in four social housing residents had been affected by anti-social behaviour in the past year, which translates to one million households across the sector.
The report notes that anti-social behaviour by neighbours can be particularly stressful and states that of those who reported such behaviour to their landlord, 55% were dissatisfied with the outcome. Furthermore, 40% of those affected by anti-social behaviour did not report it because they did not believe their landlord would do anything about it.
The plan acknowledges that anti-social behaviour is also a problem in the private rental sector, with one in three landlords who have ended a tenancy reporting that they did so because of anti-social behaviour by the tenant. The report calls such behaviour "disrespectful and unacceptable" and states that landlords must be able to act against persistently problematic tenants and relieve innocent parties living nearby.
To address the problem, the government has proposed a series of measures, including:
The government plans to ensure that all private tenancy agreements include clauses specifically banning anti-social behaviour. This will make it easier for landlords to use the breach of tenancy ground to evict anti-social tenants.
The notice period for all anti-social behaviour eviction grounds will be reduced to two weeks as part of reforms for renters. The government will also ensure that landlords are aware of existing tools, such as injunctions and Criminal Behaviour Orders, to crack down on anti-social tenants.
The government plans to expand the discretionary eviction ground, making it easier to prove anti-social behaviour in court. This will clarify that any behaviour "capable" of causing "nuisance or annoyance" can lead to eviction.
The government plans to speed up the process of evicting anti-social tenants by working with courts and the Tribunals Service to prioritize anti-social behaviour cases in Possession Lists.
The government plans to bring forward legislation that will set out the principles that judges must consider when making their decision, giving weight to the impact on landlords, neighbours, and housemates, as well as whether the tenant has failed to engage with other interventions to manage their behaviour.
The government plans to prevent short-term lets from importing anti-social behaviour into communities by introducing a new registration scheme. This will give local authorities the data to easily identify short-term lets in their area. If a let proves problematic, they can take action against guests and owners.
The government will consult on expanding Closure Powers, which currently allow police or council officers to quickly shut down premises that are being used or likely to be used to commit nuisance or disorder. The plan states that the government intends to extend these powers to Housing Providers, making it easier and quicker for them to directly tackle nuisance premises without needing to go through the police or council officers.
Do you have a question about the government's plan? Contact David at Knight Property Management on 01992 308181, or email david@knightpm.co.uk.
