A Wolverhampton landlord who threatened to unlawfully evict a tenant with a young family has been barred from operating in the rental sector for three years under new consumer protection powers.
Aunberin Kawal Saddique, sole trader and director of Emerald Lettings and Developments Limited, gave a legally binding undertaking at Wolverhampton County Court on 18 July to cease all letting and property management activities until July 2028.
The order – the first of its kind in the city – follows a joint investigation by City of Wolverhampton Council’s Private Sector Housing and Trading Standards teams.
Saddique, who managed 36 properties, admitted engaging in a series of unfair commercial practices, including making unlawful threats of eviction, demanding rent not owed, and misleading the public by failing to provide full business details on official correspondence.
PROHIBITED FROM LETTING
Under the undertaking, Saddique is prohibited from letting or managing any residential property in England, holding a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence or acting as a letting agent, with limited exceptions. Breaching the order could result in imprisonment, fines or the seizure of assets.
The action was brought under the Digital Marketing, Competition and Consumer Act 2024 (DMCC), which expanded local authorities’ powers to tackle unfair practices in the rental sector.
Steve Evans, deputy leader of City of Wolverhampton Council and cabinet member for city housing, said: “Undertakings to the court by businesses under the new regime of DMCC 2024 will safeguard consumer interest within the letting and rental sector and create a level playing field for legitimate letting agents.”
Tenants living in properties previously managed by Saddique will remain in their homes, which will now be overseen by other letting agents.
Bhupinder Gakhal, cabinet member for resident services, added: “This is a terrible case where a city tenant and her young family were hounded by someone they should have been able to trust.
“The outcome is an excellent example of the council working together, with our officers from legal services, Private Sector Housing and Trading Standards sharing their expertise to secure this result.
“Most importantly, it has seen an unscrupulous and untrustworthy person removed from the letting and rental sector.”
