Antisocial behaviour injunctions

An injunction can order someone to stop antisocial behaviour or housing related antisocial conduct.

Housing injunction

A court can grant a housing injunction against a person aged 18 or over if it:[1]

• is satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that the person has engaged or threatened to engage in housing related antisocial conduct

• considers it just and convenient to grant the injunction for the purpose of preventing the person from engaging in housing related antisocial conduct

Youth injunction

A court can grant a youth injunction against a person aged over 10 but under 18 if it:[2]

• is satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that the person has engaged or threatened to engage in antisocial behaviour

• considers it just and convenient to grant the injunction for the purpose of preventing the person from engaging in antisocial behaviour

What is antisocial behaviour

Antisocial behaviour means either:[3]

• conduct that has caused or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to any person

• housing related antisocial conduct

What is housing related antisocial conduct

Housing related antisocial conduct means either:[4]

• conduct capable of causing nuisance or annoyance to a person in relation to that person's occupation of residential premises

• conduct capable of causing housing related nuisance or annoyance to any person

Legal aid

Legal aid might be available for people accused of antisocial behaviour and threatened with injunctions or committal following a breach of an injunction.

Find out more about legal aid for housing problems.

Injunctions before 26 October 2026

Before 26 October 2026, police or a social landlord could apply for an injunction to prevent nuisance or annoyance (IPNA) to stop antisocial behaviour of a person aged 10 or over.

Housing injunctions and youth injunctions replace IPNAs. IPNAs are still in force where they were:[5]

• granted before 26 October 2026

• applied for before 26 October and granted after that date

Only relevant bodies can apply for an injunction, including a:[6]

• local authority

• housing provider, such as a housing association

• chief officer of police

A housing provider may make an application only if the application concerns behaviour that directly or indirectly relates to or affects its housing management functions.[7]

Before applying for an injunction, the applicant must carry out a risk assessment.[8] This includes an assessment of the vulnerabilities of the perpetrator and any alternative ways of preventing the perpetrator from engaging in relevant conduct.

An application for a housing injunction must be made to the High Court or the County Court.[9] An application for a youth injunction must be made to a youth court.[10]

Interim injunctions

The court can grant an interim injunction pending a final hearing to prevent antisocial behaviour during proceedings. In some cases, an interim injunction can be applied for 'without notice' to the alleged perpetrator.

An interim injunction made following a 'without notice' application can only include prohibitions, and not positive requirements.[11]

A housing injunction or youth injunction might:[12]

• prohibit the person from doing anything described in the injunction

• require the person to do anything described in the injunction

The prohibitions or requirements must, so far as practicable, not:[13]

• interfere with the person's time at work or school, or other educational establishment

• conflict with requirements of any other court orders in force against the person

Exclusion from home

A housing injunction can exclude the person from home if the court thinks that either:[14]

• the housing related antisocial conduct includes the use or threatened use of violence against other people

• there is a significant risk of harm to another person

Harm includes serious ill-treatment or abuse.[15]

A youth injunction cannot exclude a person from their home.[16]

Time limits

A housing injunction can be for a fixed period or until further notice. It can specify periods during which particular prohibitions or requirements have effect.[17]

A youth injunction must be for a fixed period, up to a maximum of 12 months.[18]

Vary or discharge injunction

The applicant or the perpetrator can apply to the court to vary or discharge an injunction.

The powers of the court to vary the injunction include to:[19]

• remove or add a prohibition or requirement

• reduce or extend the period for which a prohibition or requirement has effect

• attach or extend a power of arrest

The court can attach a power of arrest to any prohibition or requirement in an injunction where either:[20]

• the relevant conduct consists of violence, or the threat of violence, against other persons

• there is a significant risk of harm to other persons

Relevant conduct means:

• antisocial behaviour for a youth injunction

• housing related antisocial conduct for a housing injunction

A power of arrest cannot be attached to a requirement that the perpetrator participates in a particular activity.

A police officer can arrest the perpetrator without warrant if they have reasonable cause to believe that a breach of the injunction has occurred.[21]

Where a power of arrest is not attached to the injunction, the applicant can apply to the court that granted the housing injunction, or a justice of the peace for a youth injunction, for an arrest warrant if it believes that the perpetrator has breached a term of the injunction.[22]

Where a person breaches a housing injunction, it is not a criminal offence but can result in civil contempt of court.

Where a person breaches a youth injunction, a youth court can make a supervision order. Where the person is aged 14 or over, the court can make a detention order.[23]

Mandatory ground for possession

A landlord can serve a notice seeking possession using the mandatory antisocial behaviour ground where the court finds that a tenant or anyone living in or visiting the property has breached an injunction.

Find out more about assured tenancy mandatory grounds and the secure tenancy mandatory antisocial behaviour ground.

A court can make a respect order against a person aged 18 or over if it:[24]

• is satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that the person has engaged in or threatens to engage in antisocial behaviour

• considers it it just and convenient to make the order for the purpose of preventing the person from engaging in antisocial behaviour

Antisocial behaviour means conduct that has caused, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to any person.[25]

A respect order can prohibit the person from doing something or require the person to do something.[26] In some cases, a respect order can exclude the person from their normal residence.[27]

Respect order applications

A relevant authority can apply to the County Court or High Court for a respect order. A relevant authority includes:[28]

• a local authority

• a housing provider

• the chief officer of police for a police area

A housing provider can only apply for a respect order concerning antisocial behaviour that directly or indirectly relates to, or affects, its housing management functions.[29]

Where an application for a respect order is made without notice to the person, the court can adjourn the proceedings and make an interim order pending a final hearing.[30]

The court can treat an application for a respect order as an application for a housing injunction.[31]

Breach of a respect order

Breach of a respect order can be a criminal offence, and police can arrest a person who is suspected of breaching the terms of their respect order. The person is liable to imprisonment, a fine, or both.[32]

A landlord can serve a notice seeking possession using the mandatory antisocial behaviour ground where the court finds that a tenant or anyone living in or visiting the property has breached a respect order.

Find out more about assured tenancy mandatory grounds and the secure tenancy mandatory antisocial behaviour ground.