Respect orders for persistent antisocial behaviour come into force in England and Wales

A new type of court order aimed at adults who repeatedly cause nuisance in their neighbourhood takes effect in England and Wales from Monday, along with updated Home Office guidance for the councils, police forces and housing providers that will use it.

Respect orders were created by the Crime and Policing Act 2026, which received Royal Assent in April. The Home Office confirmed in July that they would start on 26 October. They replace the civil injunction that has been used against adults for antisocial behaviour since 2014.

How a respect order works

A respect order is a civil order, which means it is granted by a county court or the High Court rather than following a criminal conviction. It can be sought by a local council, a social or other housing provider, or a chief police officer.

The court has to be satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that the person has caused or threatened behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress, and that an order is a fair and practical way to stop it happening again. A housing provider also has to show the behaviour relates to its role as a landlord.

An order can include two kinds of term:

• Prohibitions, such as being banned from a town centre, an estate or a particular address, or from drinking alcohol in public.
• Positive requirements, such as attending a drug or alcohol programme or an anger management course. Each requirement must have a named supervisor.

Where there has been violence or a serious risk of harm, an order can exclude someone from their own home. Before applying, the agency must carry out a risk assessment that considers any vulnerabilities the person has and whether other measures would work.

What changes from the old injunction

The main difference is what happens if the order is broken. Breaching a respect order is a criminal offence, so the police can arrest the person, and a court can impose a fine or a prison sentence of up to two years.

For tenants of councils and housing associations, a breach can also be used as a ground for possession of their home under amended housing law.

Injunctions already granted before Monday stay in force until they run out. Under-18s are not covered: youth injunctions for those aged 10 to 17 continue under the 2014 Act.

Guidance for frontline staff

The Home Office's revised statutory guidance for frontline professionals also came into force on Monday and replaces the version issued in July 2025. One chapter, covering reviews by local policing bodies, will not take effect yet, and the Home Office said no start date has been agreed for it.

The new powers apply only in England and Wales, as justice is devolved in Scotland and Northern Ireland.