The campaign puts a particular focus on the ASB Case Review – a powerful tool their research highlights only 6% of people know about. Tenants who experience ASB should initially report incidents to the anti-social behaviour team at the local Council, or to the Police if they feel that they are at immediate risk or in danger.
Victims of persistent ASB who have reported it at least three times have the right to activate an ASB case review. This demands that the Police, Local Authority and any other relevant agencies come together to try and find a solution.
Reforms to boost ASB eviction powers for landlords
The UK Government’s ASB Action Plan aims to crack down on anti-social behaviour, with new tools for landlords included in the Renters (Reform) Bill to ensure that anti-social tenants will face consequences - including making the grounds for possession faster and easier to prove.
The Action Plan is clear that sustained acts of intimidation or disruptive behaviour will not be tolerated and should lead to the eviction of the tenant involved.
Landlords to be given more powers to evict unruly tenants
The UK Government has announced an action plan to crack down on anti-social behaviour giving more powers to the police to target perpetrators with swift and visible justice in England and Wales.
Propertymark advocacy
During #ASBAwarenessWeek, we polled Propertymark followers on LinkedIn to gauge the thoughts of agents on how often they see tenants evicted as a result of ASB.
- Regularly = 3%
- Sometimes = 14%
- Very rarely = 49%
- I haven’t seen this = 33%
The results are mixed and pose further questions with further awareness needed of why so many haven’t seen evictions. Is this because there isn't enough evidence, people don't want to come forward, or because they don't have confidence in the police or courts system?
Propertymark continues to lobby the UK Government to ensure that before the proposed removal of Section 21 and reform of Section 8 grounds, the court system is adequately prepared to deal with cases swiftly and effectively. We have unwaveringly campaigned for striking the right balance between protecting tenants from unfair evictions whilst making sure landlords can take possession of their property in reasonable circumstances.
Supporting the ASB Awareness campaign is paramount for Propertymark as we need to see clarity from the UK Government on how the measures in the Renters (Reform) Bill will work in practice and when the new legislation will be in effect. Until then landlords will continue to struggle to evict nuisance tenants, and ASB will also go under the radar because people affected by it may not have confidence in the system to help them.
ASB is not low-level. It can have a devastating and long-lasting impact on the lives of victims and communities and can be a precursor to more serious crime. It is important that the challenge of ASB continues to be given the priority it needs so that people everywhere feel safe in their homes and communities.
We are delighted that Propertymark is supporting this hugely important campaign. It is vital to develop partnership approaches across communities to deal with the growing challenges around ASB.
