The Crime and Policing Act 2026 is now law, but most of what it means for ASB and noise teams hasn't started yet. The Act received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026, and its main ASB measures, including Respect Orders, come into force on 26 October 2026. Until each part is switched on, the tools you use today still apply.

If you work in a local authority ASB or environmental health team, or manage tenancies for a housing association, you've probably heard a lot of headlines and not much detail. This blog sets out what has actually changed, what is still waiting, and what you can do now so your team is ready.

What's changed

The main ASB measures in the Act come into force on 26 October 2026. Commencement regulations bring in Respect Orders, changes to civil injunctions, longer time limits on some powers, the new fixed penalty limits, closure powers for housing providers and changes to ASB Case Reviews on that date (Devonshires).

Here's what each change means for the people handling complaints day to day.

Respect Orders are the headline. Unlike the old ASBO, they apply to adults only, are made in the civil courts and can include rehabilitative requirements. For housing providers, a court can also exclude someone from their home where there is violence, threatened violence or a significant risk of harm (Trowers & Hamlins).

Youth injunctions (ages 10 to 17) and housing injunctions for housing-related anti-social conduct carry on as separate tools.

What hasn't changed yet

Until 26 October, nothing in your toolkit has moved. The existing powers under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 stay in place until the new provisions are commenced (ASB Help). Even after that date, several pieces are still missing.

The practical detail is still to come. Procedural guidance, court forms and other supporting documents are still expected before implementation (Devonshires). Most teams will want to see these before they update policies and template letters.

FPN guidance is pending. The Home Secretary must issue guidance within six months on proportionate use of FPNs for low-level incidents. It will also make clear that private enforcement contractors should not earn more just by issuing more penalties (GOV.UK). Raising the limit to £500 doesn't mean every breach should get a £500 fine.

Some powers need regulations first. The Home Secretary can extend the maximum length of closure orders, but only through regulations after a consultation. The detail of what ASB data councils and housing providers must report will also come through regulations.

The cuckooing offence has no start date yet. Its commencement is still to be confirmed.

Statutory nuisance is untouched. For most noise complaints, the core route is still the same: investigate, establish whether it amounts to a statutory nuisance, and serve an abatement notice where it does. The Act strengthens the ASB powers that sit alongside that route, such as CPNs, rather than replacing it.

Possession grounds stay as they are. Ground 7A has not been amended to make a proven Respect Order breach a standalone mandatory ground for possession (Trowers & Hamlins).

Existing orders don't disappear. Civil injunctions granted before commencement keep running. Check transitional arrangements with your legal team for live cases.

What this means in practice

The new powers are stronger, but every one of them still depends on good evidence and a clear case record. That is where most of the day-to-day impact will land.

Evidence carries more weight. A court can make a Respect Order where it is satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that someone has engaged in or threatened ASB causing harassment, alarm or distress. With breach now a criminal offence, the quality of the evidence behind the original order matters even more. For noise, that means recordings, diaries and a clear timeline that show a pattern, not a one-off.

Higher fines invite challenge. A £500 FPN for breaching a CPN is a bigger ask than £100. Expect more people to dispute them, and expect the forthcoming guidance to push for proportionate use. Teams will need to show that the original notice was justified and that the breach happened.

Case handling will be more visible. With Police and Crime Commissioners now promoting the ASB Case Review, more complainants will know they can ask for one. A review looks at what agencies did and when. A complete, time-stamped record of each complaint, contact and action will make those reviews far easier to answer.

Data reporting is coming. The Government has acknowledged there is currently no national data on ASB reported to councils and housing providers, or on how they use their powers. Once reporting regulations arrive, consistent recording will stop being a nice-to-have.

Partnership matters more. Positive requirements in a Respect Order only work if the support services exist and the referral routes are clear. Closure powers for housing providers also mean more joint decisions between landlords, councils and police.

Getting ready before 26 October

You don't need to wait for every piece of guidance to start preparing. These steps will help whatever the final detail looks like.

1. Review your ASB policy and procedures. Note where Respect Orders, the new FPN limits and closure powers will fit, and flag what needs updating once guidance lands.

2. Look at your live caseload. Identify persistent cases where a Respect Order might work better than an injunction or repeated warnings.

3. Check your evidence gathering. Are recordings, diaries and officer notes captured consistently, dated and easy to pull together for court or a Case Review?

4. Map your referral routes. Agree with partners which support services could deliver positive requirements, and who refers to whom.

5. Get your data in order. Make sure complaints, actions and outcomes are recorded in a way you could report on, before you're asked to.

6. Brief your team. Make sure officers know what changes on 26 October and what stays the same, especially for statutory nuisance work.

How The Noise App can help

The Noise App helps residents report noise as it happens and gives your team the evidence to investigate. Recordings, reports and case history sit in one place, so you can build a clear picture of a pattern of behaviour. That supports a statutory nuisance case, a CPN or a Respect Order application, and makes it easier to answer an ASB Case Review.

We're pulling together everything you need on the Act in our Crime and Policing Act hub. [Placeholder: link to hub and any webinar details once confirmed.]

Book a demo of The Noise App or start your Enterprise trial here.