Sex-for-rent landlords snared in Canterbury student sting

‘You wear what I want, for an hour a day’: Student exposes vile demands of sex-for-rent landlords offering female undergraduates reduced rates for sordid favours

  • Landlords are offering free or reduced rent housing in return for sexual favours 
  • More than 10 landlords in Canterbury, Kent, have admitted engaging in the act
  • A student journalist using a fake advert received multiple offers from landlords
  • One asked for a ****job every day and full sex once a week instead of full rent

Depraved sex-for-rent landlords offering female students housing in return for sexual favours have been exposed in an undercover sting.   

More than 10 landlords in Canterbury, Kent, have admitted taking on female student tenants offering free rooms in exchange for sexual services.

The sordid arrangements could see financially vulnerable students unable to afford rising accommodation fees fall prey to predatory older men.

More than 10 landlords in Canterbury, Kent, have admitted taking on female student tenants offering free rooms in exchange for sexual services. Student journalist Claisse Opulencia (pictured) listed an advert and was soon offered rooms in exchange for sexual favours by multiple landlords

But the deals are illegal according to former Justice Secretary David Lidington who said in April last year: ‘Such acts/arrangements are already a criminal offence in England and Wales by virtue of the Sexual Offences Act 2003’.  

A student journalist at Canterbury Christ Church University went undercover to snare the manipulative landlords on the online advert site Craigslist.    

Claisse Opulencia, 20, listed an advert on the site asking for rooms in the area and was soon offered rooms in exchange for sexual favours by multiple landlords. 


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One landlord listed various requirements that his ‘tenants’ would need to provide him including full sex once a week.

He added: ‘A ****job a day, an hour each day you wear what I want around the house (could be underwear, naked or whatever I want).’ 

Going undercover as ‘Isabelle’, Claisse, editor-in-chief of her university paper, discovered shocking offers from landlords as to their ‘sex-for-rent’ deals.   

The journalist at Canterbury Christ Church University went undercover to snare the manipulative landlords on the online advert site Craigslist

One landlord admitted to having properties close to the Canterbury university campuses, University of Kent and Christ Church University – and that his tenants are mostly students.

He said: ‘I have some near Asda, I usually charge £380 per month. But if you’re serious then I’ll let you stay rent free.’

August is the time where ‘sex for rent’ landlords tend to search for new tenants, as students are leaving the city after graduation.

Another Canterbury landlord offered a room to stay as long as she was ‘willing to give herself’ to him.

He previously had a ‘sex-for-rent’ arrangement with a student who recently finished university.


Going undercover as ‘Isabelle’, Claisse, editor-in-chief of her university paper, discovered shocking offers from landlords as to their ‘sex-for-rent’ deals

One landlord admitted to having properties close to the Canterbury university campuses, University of Kent and Christ Church University – and that his tenants are mostly students

A Canterbury man responded to say that ‘Isabelle’ could live in his room if she could afford the rent. If not, she had to pay through massages and ‘intimate services’.

He said: ‘Two to three times a week and full service (massage). You could tell me what you’re happy to do.

‘So two to three times a week, massage and sex.’

Canterbury homeowner Owen called, as he wasn’t keen discussing the ‘deal’ via text messaging.

Owen is in his late twenties who has had female students as his previous ‘tenants’.

The young landlord said: ‘I’ve had one before who was an international student, she stayed with me for eight months.

A Canterbury man responded to say that ‘Isabelle’ could live in his room if she could afford the rent. If not, she had to pay through massages and ‘intimate services’

‘She’s graduated now. She got what she wanted and so did I.’

He claims that he was intimate with her about four to five times a week – and encourages me to ‘behave the same way’ when I move in with him.

‘As long as you kept the place tidy, don’t mind showering with the door open, wearing your underwear around the house, then you get the idea’

Most of these landlords believe that what they’re doing is completely fine. However, sex-for-rent could be illegal.

There is no specific law stating that a tenant offering sex as payment for rent is illegal. But, it can be classified as incitement into prostitution.

If convicted, a person can face seven years in prison in England and Wales.

The third year multimedia journalism student then got in contact with every single landlord that offered her a ‘sex for rent’ deal, this time as a journalist.

Out of the 18, only one person responded. Others had blocked her number completely.

When asked, Gary* from Canterbury said he believed he wasn’t doing any harm to anybody and simply helping out people in need.

He added: ‘I would never force anyone to do anything they didn’t want to.

‘It’s a win-win situation. I’ll help the person out and she can help me out. I have needs too and I don’t see anything wrong with that.’

Kent Police urges people to report any cases of sex for rent landlords. They promise that landlords who participate in this exchange will be investigated and even prosecuted if a criminal act has been committed.

Ex Justice secretary’s verdict on sex-for-rent landlords, April 2017

Such acts/arrangements are already a criminal offence in England and Wales by virtue of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

Taken together, these [provisions] essentially mean that an offence is committed when a person offers accommodation in return for sex, as they are inciting/causing another person to have sex with them in return for ‘payment.

Detective Chief Inspector Lee Whitehead of Kent Police said: ‘Landlords who advertise rooms in exchange for sexual favours are actively targeting vulnerable people, and I would urge anyone who is being exploited in this way to please report it to us.

‘Organisations including Shelter and Citizens Advice provide support for those struggling to find affordable accommodation, including students living away from home who need not put themselves at risk by responding to such adverts.

‘Any incidents reported to Kent Police will be fully investigated to establish if any crimes have been committed, and officers will work with the Crown Prosecution Service to charge offenders and bring them before the courts.’

 

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