A landmark court case heard in the Midlands is believed to be the first to issue a Criminal Behaviour Order on a landlord including a provision insisting he instructs a managing agent to handle his portfolio of properties to let.

The court order – on Jaspal Singh Sahota of Blackpool – is the first of its kind and will last for 10 years.  

The ruling was made by Wolverhampton Magistrates’ Court being satisfied that Sahota was causing harassment, alarm and distress to his tenants through the poor standards and management of his privately let properties in the city.

The case was built around two specific properties owned by Sahota, but also considered his management of his other Wolverhampton properties.

The order requires him to instate a third party agent to manage his properties on his behalf, and he must submit to the council a list of all his properties and his interest in them for rental purposes.

If Sahota does not comply with the order, including having a suitable managing agent in place by 1 June, he will be in breach of the order, and could be imprisoned for up to five years and/or face an unlimited fine.