A new law came in this April. It gives us more ways to deal with anti-social behaviour, and it makes cuckooing a crime. Here's what it means for you.
What's changed?
The Crime and Policing Act 2026 came in in April. It gives landlords like us stronger powers to act when anti-social behaviour (ASB) affects you and your neighbours. ASB is behaviour that causes harassment, alarm or distress.
You should feel safe and settled in your home. These new tools help us to act.
What can we do now?
- Respect Orders: A court can order an adult to stop behaving in a way that causes harassment, alarm or distress.
- Housing injunctions: We can go straight to court, without the police, when housing-related behaviour is causing nuisance or annoyance. This can help with problems that carry on, even if they seem small.
- Closure notices: We can act quickly to close a home that is causing or being used to cause nuisance or disorder.
These are tools we can use. They won't be right for every case, and a court decides whether to grant an order.
What is cuckooing?
Cuckooing is when someone takes control of another person's home so it can be used for crime, such as dealing drugs. They do this without the person's agreement.
It is now a crime. The most someone can get is five years in prison, a fine, or both.
People are often targeted when they are going through a hard time. They might be struggling with alcohol or drugs, or they might have lost someone close to them. If this is happening to you, it is not your fault, and we can help.
Things that might worry you include:
- lots of visitors coming and going at odd times
- a neighbour who seems scared or under pressure in their own home
- people you don't know staying at a neighbour's home
How to tell us
If something doesn't feel right, tell us. You don't need to be certain.
If someone is in danger right now, call 999. For something that isn't an emergency, you can also call the police on 101.
We're here if you need us, the Midland Heart team.
