Landlords offering free accommodation in return for sexual favours have targeted around a quarter of a million women, an investigation has revealed.

Men sent explicit emails to numerous potential tenants and detailed the explicit sexual acts they would have to carry out to keep their home.

One allegedly said that daily unprotected sex was a must, while another suggested oral sex would be a good ‘icebreaker’.

An undercover reporter met landlord Andrew Bird in South Yorkshire where he allegedly told her he wanted unprotected sex in return for the ‘free’ room (Picture: Matthew Pover)

The landlords were unaware the tenants they were messaging were undercover Mail on Sunday reporters posing as people looking for rent.


In January, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) issued new guidance to lawyers, classifying such deals as an offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.



It is punishable by up to seven years in prison.

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But countless adverts offering the ‘free rooms’ are still available online, according to the Mail on Sunday.

It comes after homeless charity Shelter revealed that some 250,000 women have been offered ‘sex-for-rent’ in the last five years.

During a series of face-to-face meetings, the potential tenants – all women in their 20s – were told they would have to perform regular explicit acts, including oral sex and unprotected sex.

One landlord, who is allegedly on benefits, told the reporter that in order to rent his one-bed council flat she would be required to have daily unprotected sex with him, according to the publication.

Bird allegedly told the reporter that he would offer the room in exchange for sexual favours (Picture: Andrew Bird/Facebook)

Andrew Bird, a 30-year-old vacuum-cleaner fixer from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, allegedly told the reporter: ‘I like the idea of the risk of pregnancy.’

Meanwhile, Essex-based electrician Tony Crossley offered a room in his house in Rayleigh in exchange for spending a couple of ‘fun nights’ with him.

He suggested, in text messages following the meeting, that the reporter could perform oral sex on him as an ‘icebreaker’.

Many landlords have targeted female students who are struggling to cover costs while at university.

Colin Luck from Gravesend in Kent, described himself as a ‘professional’, offering ‘free lodging and financial assistance’, on classified adverts website Craigslist.

He asked for ‘intimacy and a relationship’ and told the woman he was speaking to they would have to ‘get together’ a couple of times a week and suggested trying tantric sex.

‘I would always respect you, I would never hurt you,’ he told the reporter, adding: ‘I like a bit of tantric sex. I’d like to explore that.’

Jennie Bibbings, campaign manager at Shelter Cymru, said: ‘It’s horrific that young women – and men – are having to choose between being homeless or having sex with a creepy bloke.’

Following the legal advice issued in January, lawyers and MPs said it is not enough to deter such landlords and are calling for a bill to make offering a room in exchange for sexual acts a criminal offence in its own right.

Labour MP for Hove, Peter Kyle, has slammed these types of landlords as ‘pimps’ and has been campaigning to call time on ‘sex-for-rent’ agreements.

‘The way the law stands at the moment, if you are a victim of sex-for-rent you have to prove you have been forced to become a prostitute in order to get a successful conviction,’ he said.



‘Craigslist have been acting like pimps by profiting from sexual exploitation. I do not see Craigslist accepting any responsibility for the exploitation of young people they are facilitating.

‘I want sex for rent to become a specific named offence so we can start locking people up.’

When the reporters revealed their true identity to the landlords they defended their actions and dismissed that it was illegal.

Crossley allegedly said: ‘Nothing happened so why is it illegal? There’s loads of ads on there like that. It was a room to help people out, a favour for a favour, like cleaning and keeping the place tidy.’

Bird claimed he didn’t know such deals were illegal and told the newspaper: ‘I’ve got nothing to say to you’.

Luck is believed to have declined to comment, while Craigslist failed to respond to calls.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman confirmed: ‘Offering accommodation in return for sex is illegal.’

Have you been targeted by landlords offering sex for rent? If you have been approached by a landlord offering a room in return for sexual favours, or if you have been involved in such a deal and would like to share your story, please get in touch at Elisa.Menendez@metro.co.uk. Cases will be treated sensitively and anonymously, if the person wishes to conceal their identity.