Cracking Down On Anti-Social Behaviour

The UK Governments New Rules Empower Lanords To Crack Down On Anti-Social Tenants The new Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan by the UK Government is designed to give landlords more powers to deal with anti-social tenants. They can now evict erring tenants by giving them just two weeks' notice.

The decision to give landlords more power to crack down on tenants that exhibit anti-social behaviour is seen as a move in the right direction by the UK property market experts. Landlords can now evict those tenants who are persistently disruptive. The rule will also broaden the definition of anti-social behaviour and provide the clarifications needed to remove any confusion. The government has earmarked 160 million to fund this crackdown across all aspects of society. The government has outlined that persistent noise or being drunk and disorderly constitutes anti-social behaviour. The government also states that intimidatory behaviour, drug use, vandalism, and neighbours consistently playing loud music or letting their dog bark all night are anti-social behaviour too.

Why Are The New Rules Needed?

It was noted from the government data that one in three tenancies in the private sector were ended by landlords because the tenants indulged in anti-social behaviour. The story is similar in the social housing sector. It is believed that in 2022, over a million households had to bear the impact of anti-social behaviour by rogue tenants. There were issues also with the outcome of such behaviours being reported. A whopping 55 percent of tenants from the social housing sector were unhappy with the response by the authorities to their complaints. There is also an issue with what happens once such behaviour by tenants is reported. 55 percent of social housing tenants that reported a problem were unhappy with the resolution offered. 40 percent of tenants said they didn't report such behaviour as they were sure the landlord would not act.

New Rules Provide New Powers To The Landlords

The government has stated different approaches based on the type of tenant behaviour:

Low-Level, But High Impact Anti-Social Behaviour

The government has plans to improve mediation in the private rented sector through the new Ombudsman, as suggested in the Renters' Reform Bill. This would prevent unnecessary evictions in the case of low-level anti-social behaviour. However, the move will support landlords.

Sustained Acts Of Intimidating Or Disruptive Behaviour

In such cases, the government will make sure that the tenants exhibiting such behaviour consistently will face severe consequences. It will also help make grounds for possession faster and easier to prove. All private tenancy agreements must include a clause related to anti-social behaviour. It must consist of a breach of contract so that this anti-social behaviour is clearer to establish.

The new rules state that a two-week notice period for anti-social behaviour eviction grounds will be introduced. This will be included in the plans to reform section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 under the Renters' Reform Bill. The new rules will make it easier to prove anti-social behaviour through the discretionary eviction ground. And will outline the kinds of behaviour capable of causing nuisance or annoyance.

The eviction process will be accelerated by taking up anti-social cases on priority.

The government will also dictate what aspects the judges must consider. They can decide whether tenants can engage with the landlord to resolve the issue. There will be processes to monitor anti-social behaviour in the short-term rental sector. This will be via a planned registration scheme.

New Rules In The Social Housing Sector

The report highlights that social landlords must be empowered to evict tenants who cause problems. The government is expected to update its statutory social housing allocations guidance soon to clarify when action will be taken against social tenants if they indulge in anti-social behaviour. There will be a three-time rule. If they indulge in such behaviour thrice despite warnings, they will be deprioritised for future social housing.

So if you are a landlord the action that you need to take is to update your tenancy agreement now to include an anti-social behaviour clause as a breach of tenancy. All PlanetRent users who use the PlanetRent standard tenancy can rest assured that there is already an anti-social behaviour clause already there for you.

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