Campaign group Generation Rent has called for the Government to do more to protect financially vulnerable renters from being forced into ‘sex for rent’ arrangements.
The organisation said that the Government should raise Local Housing Allowance, scrap the benefits cap, and increase Discretionary Housing Payments funding to local authorities in order to help safeguard renters against predatory landlords.
The calls come in response to a Government consultation on the scale and nature of ‘sex for rent’ arrangements in the UK. The consultation is seeking evidence from victims, police and charities.
‘Sex for rent’ is an arrangement where landlords exchange accommodation for free or at a discount in return for sexual relations with their tenants. It is illegal under the Sexual Offences Act.
The Government said it is seeking to establish whether existing laws go far enough to protect victims, or if new measures are needed.
Generation Rent has warned that the cost-of-living crisis makes tenants increasingly vulnerable, as they might struggle to pay their rent.
In a survey carried out by Generation Rent and Mumsnet in December 2022, 4% of private renters said that they had been offered discounted or free rent by a landlord or letting agent. The survey received 1045 responses.
Generation Rent said that this figure rose to 10% of respondents with incomes of less than £20,000.
Ben Twomey, director of Generation Rent, said: ‘More must be done to protect women with lower and insecure incomes, minority ethnic women, members of the LGBTQ+ community and people who have no recourse to public funds.
‘A new law would enable victims of “sex for rent” to seek justice, however without adequate court funding and support for struggling renters, this exploitative and predatory practice will remain a disturbing feature of the Private Rented Sector.’
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