Sex For Rent: UK mulls new law, crackdown on predatory landlords

The Community News/London

Amid reports of over 200,000 women falling prey to Sex for Rent, the UK government on Friday gave a call for evidence to grasp the scale of the widely used malpractice.

UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman said Sex for Rent is an agreement where landlords seek sexual favour in lieu of free or discounted rent in the country.

Though the landlords can be prosecuted for Sex for Rent but as no one comes forward to report, the issue has reached an alarming level.

The Sex for Rent has come to light after NUM reported a case study where a landlord allegedly exploited a vulnerable tenant, forcing her to prostitution.

“It’s wholly unacceptable that vulnerable people, and particularly young women, are being exploited in ‘sex for rent’ arrangements.

This is an abuse of power which puts people in desperate situations and has no place in our country.

The launch of this public call for evidence brings us closer to ending this deeply harmful trend and better protecting victims,” Braverman said.

Braverman stated that the call for evidence is another example of how the PM RIshi Sunak government is committed to prosecute sexual and domestic abusers to justice.

As per YouGov study for housing charity, Shelter, one in every 50 women were approached with sex for rent in the last five years.

The government’s call for evidence will last for 10 weeks wherein it will seek views who were directly engaged, coerced or compelled into the notorious arrangement.

The National Ugly Mugs (NUM)is among the charities that record the views and present them to the government.

Dr Raven Bowen, NUM CEO said, “We welcome the ‘sex for rent’ call for evidence. As an organisation dedicated to supporting sex workers we have seen first hand the damage that this exploitative behaviour can have, especially on young women and mothers.

We support action that will clamp down on predatory landlords. We hope that this is accompanied by wider action to combat the fundamental issue of poverty and unaffordable housing that make people vulnerable to this abuse.”

It is worth mentioning here that over 200,000 women could be victims of Sex for Rent as per the Generation Rent and Mumsnet estimates.