Propertymark has made a strident set of demands of the government in a bid to end the so-called Sex For Rent scandal.
Responding to the Home Office's call for evidence on the exchange of sexual relations for accommodation, Propertymark says any landlords who engage in this sex are likely to engage in other criminal acts such as prostitution, human trafficking, and drugs.
“They are also extremely unlikely to provide the high standards expected of landlords within the private rental sector such as complying with legislation and health and safety requirements” says the trade body.
Propertymark is calling for several measures that will end the practice including:
- Giving local authorities sufficient resources to ensure standards are high across the board in the PRS;
- A referral route for local authorities to report suspected cases to the police and relevant authorities;
- Tackle online platforms that advertise these arrangements and give them the same requirements to meet as online property platforms;
- More support for those impacted to help them come forward;
- The police and other authorities share information with letting agents and landlords on spotting the signs and how to report it.
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Really? I would have thought that organisations such as property mark would be much better utilising their resources to fight the Renters Reform Bill on behalf of their members, agents and landlords in general rather than an issue which I have never encountered in 35 years of letting property!
Well said, Jeremy. Landlords offering sex for accommodation are probably as rare as revenge evictions. As I have said many times, No good Landlord, evicts a good tenant without a good reason.
In 40 years in London property and 24 years with my own Inventory business I've only ever come across 2 revenge evictions that i can be sure of, the way some tenants leave their properties I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often.
What a ridiculous and naive thing for propertymark to write. People who human traffic and prostituting aren't going to be the slightest bothered by the police or anybody else. Professor Jays report on the child grooming scandal hasn't been acted on !!!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I just don't how Agents can do anything with this? Surely all Agents who collect rent have accounting software, and I don't believe that s£x is an option under 'currency'...
I mean, its awful and should be stopped, yes. All Tenants should have a safe, healthy home that is reasonable to heat, but... this is a council/police thing to deal with, not an Agent thing... Obviously if on referencing a Tenant, when we ask their current rent and they answer "2 rolls in the sheets a week" then sure, we report that as anyone should but apart from that I don't see how we can do much...
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