Anti-social behaviour in England: leave the home alone

Neighbour disputes are not a new phenomenon, but the increasing density of urban areas, where people live cheek-by-jowl, exacerbates tensions. This paper provides a critical examination of a dominant strand of English policy which categorises certain behaviour as ‘anti-social’ and tackles it by evicting – or threatening to evict - perpetrators from their home. It argues that this tenure-based approach to dealing with ant-social behaviour is particularly ill-suited to modern, mixed-tenure living arrangements. The paper makes two principal contributions. First, it highlights the disparities in treatment caused by the tenure-based approach that results in renters being subjected to significantly greater behavioural management, compared with owners (the equality of treatment issue). Secondly, it examines the Renters’ Rights Bill 2025 to identify how it will significantly alter private rental sector (PRS) landlords’ response to anti-social behaviour. It also explores the contentious extension of behavioural management into the private rental sector (PRS) (the transfer of responsibility issue) through licensing schemes. It concludes that making PRS landlords responsible for managing their tenants’ behaviour, under threat of losing their licence, risks further disadvantaging vulnerable households who have very limited alternative housing options.