A tenants’ rights group has written to every member of the Scottish Parliament demanding urgent protections from ‘sex for rent’ landlords after a Record expose.
Our investigation last week exposed some of the sleazy Scots offering accommodation in return for sex during the pandemic and laid bare the depraved techniques used to target those most in need.
The Scottish Tenants Organisation (STO) has now penned a letter to all 129 MSPs calling for “enhanced rights” for those renting properties in a bid to stamp out rogue landlords and tackle homelessness in the wake of Covid-19.
And Scottish Labour housing spokesperson Pauline McNeill supported the bid yesterday, saying: “I call on all parties to back any move to protect tenants in the current crisis.”
We exposed Steven Anderson, from Uddingston, Lanarkshire, as just one of several prospective ‘sex for rent’ landlords offering spare rooms on US classified site Craigslist this month, despite a pledged crackdown on the seedy adverts.
We also highlighted a loophole in legislation which allows those who seek to rent a room in their own home to bypass registration laws designed to combat crime.
Drafting a proposed ‘bill of rights’ for tenants in light of our revelations, the STO said: “The ‘sex for rent’ scandal by predatory landlords in Scotland who offer a room in return for sex, which was exposed by the Daily Record, has to be eradicated.
“The best way to do this is to force all landlords in the private sector to register with their local authority so that they are properly vetted and licensed before they can be landlords.”
It also called for rent rates in the social and private sectors to be “frozen for a minimum of two years” and a block on evictions for rent arrears for the same period.
Campaigners also called for those in temporary accommodation to be given the highest priority for social housing, saying a minimum of 12,000 new social homes need to be built each year in Scotland and thousands more empty properties brought up to standard and put back into the social housing sector.
The STO also called for an investigation into “unfair anti-social behaviour orders” issued by councils or housing associations where tenants stand up for their rights.
Labour Glasgow MSP Pauline McNeill has campaigned to clamp down on ‘sex for rent’ landlords, cap rent rises and for better financial support for tenants from local authorities.
She said: “Scottish Labour fully supports all moves to protect tenants and strengthen their rights.
“My Fair Rents Bill seeks to bring about a fundamental shift in power in favour of tenants and I call on all parties to back any move to protect tenants in the current crisis.
“Scottish Labour has called for an expansion of the Discretionary Housing Fund and for greater financial support for tenants – this must be delivered.
“We need action urgently to build the affordable homes and social housing that we need, and we must be prepared to legislate against so-called ‘sex for rent’ arrangements.”
This week a 52-year-old man was charged over “sex-for-rent” allegations in what is believed to be the first prosecution of its kind in the UK.
Christopher Cox, from Cranleigh, in Surrey, is due to appear in court next month to face two counts of inciting prostitution for gain and one count of controlling prostitution for gain.
Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said anyone at risk of being exploited through an exchange of sex for accommodation should contact the police immediately and seek support.
He said: “Any private landlord offering to rent properties in exchange for sexual activity should be reported to the relevant local authority, which has the power to determine that an individual is not, or is no longer, a fit and proper person to lawfully let their property.
“Given the significant risk the pandemic poses to people’s health, we have in place regulations that currently ban the enforcement of eviction orders in the private and social rented sectors to provide people some much needed security to be able to stay safe in their homes.
“There is a range of support available to people either through social security benefits such as Universal Credit, or through our Discretionary Housing Payments which we have increased from £11m to 19m to support tenants struggling with housing costs.
“We have also introduced a tenants hardship loan fund, and encouraged anyone with problems paying their rent to seek advice and speak to their landlord. We have written to all private and social rented tenants in Scotland informing them of the support available to them.”
