A landlord posted an advert offering his tenants free rent in exchange for sex on Craigslist.
The landlord identified as 'Eddie', offered the exchange for those struggling to keep up with rent payments during the coronavirus pandemic.
The post, which was aimed at tenants in Long Island, US, was titled: 'Room Share for Submissive Female'.
The advert reads: "During these hard times Covid-19 has thrown many in a tail spin... If you are a submissive female (20- 50) years old and into the SM lifestyle on a moderate to extreme level... and wanting to barter session/playtime once per week in lieu of rent we should talk."
A producer for Inside Edition then responded to the advert, posing as a potential renter.
The publication reports that the landlord replied, saying he wanted to try the "arrangement" first at a hotel room and gave bizarre instructions that left no doubt about his intentions.
Alycia Powers, who posed as the potential renter, said: "He says to wear my hair down, no jewelry and minimal makeup.
"And then meet him in the room, undress and put on a pair of stilettos he got me."
She agreed to meet 'Eddie' at a Days Inn hotel in Long Island, whilst being wired with a hidden camera.
The landlord text Alycia to say he had checked into the hotel, but the producer asked him to meet her at her car, when she and her team revealed who they were to him.
When asked if he was trying to take advantage of women in the middle of the pandemic, Eddie responded "No. She had the choice to take up on the offer" and denied the arrangement was for sex.
It is thought that many landlords in the US are trying to take advantage of tenants' struggles with rent payments.
In April, a third of tenants across the country were unable to pay their landlords, with a higher number expected in May.
Last month, Khara Jabola-Carolus, Executive Director of the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, said sexual harassment by landlords is making lives from women extremely difficult.
"There was no plan upfront to prepare for the physical and sexual violence from the combination of shelter-in-place, lost income and systemic sexism," Ms Jabola-Carolus said.
In February it was reported that desperate tenants are sleeping with landlords instead of paying rent in a growing “sex for rent” epidemic.
A national survey Shelter Scotland recently found that 220,000 women nationally said they’d been asked for sex for their tenancies.
The Aberdeen Law Project, based at Aberdeen University, invited MSP Kevin Stewart, Detective Sergeant Craig Currie, Mark Thomson from homeless charity Shelter Scotland and Marsha Scott of Scottish Women’s Aid as part of the workshop.
Mr Thomson said there is a “vast amount of under-reporting” on the growing issue, where tenants are asked by landlords to offer sex in exchange for rent.
He added: “We are aware anecdotally that it does happen in Aberdeen.
Earlier this year a woman urged others to be safe after sharing her messages with a 'landlord' who offered to lower rent in exchange for nude photos.
Georgia Linehan took to social media to expose 'how dangerous some people on the internet can be' in a tweet which has since gained almost 35,000 likes.
Posting a screenshot of their worrying Whatsapp conversation, she wrote: "That's the last time I try and buy a house on Gumtree."
She is told it costs £695 per month, and she replies to say that she'll have a think and let them know her decision in a couple of days.
Then a message comes back to say: "There is an option to reduce rent if you wanted to x."
Asking how, she is told: "I own a modelling company, a few of my tenants work for me doing boob work basically. Breast pics for 2 pics the rent get reduced by £200."
As the post received more than 2,800 likes, Georgia responded to the many comments from others suggesting the proposal was a 'steal', by saying: "Can I just say everyone saying 'she’s mad for not taking this deal' I highly doubt this man even owns a property."
