This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Rejected petition Make asking for sex or sexual acts for rent a criminal offence
UK landlords are using classifieds to advertise 'Sex for Rent' arrangements, in which young, vulnerable, often homeless people are convinced into living "rent" free. This coercion has become blatant through the victimisation of those affected by Coronavirus, including those with no other choice.
More details
This practice is effectively incitement to prostitution and should be classified as such under Section 52 of the Sexual Offenders Act 2003.
(https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/prostitution-and-exploitation-prostitution)
For more information please watch this documentary:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05y93q5
Or read these articles:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/d6ad2e6d-2c72-4a35-9281-daaeedf029ee
https://www.rt.com/uk/384580-sex-abuse-rent-tenants/
This petition was rejected
Why was this petition rejected?
We can't publish petitions when the request is something that's already happening or something that has been announced since you started your petition.
We think your petition is covered by Government or Parliament action already. If you'd like something else, you could start a new petition clearly explaining what it is.
As you note in your petition, asking for sex or sexual acts in exchange for accommodation is effectively incitement to prostitution, and as such could be treated as an offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
On 28 November 2018 the Minister for Policing and the Fire Service told the House of Commons: "Offering accommodation in return for sex is illegal and those who do it can face up to seven years in prison": https://bit.ly/2F5bLU2
Decisions about whether to investigate or prosecute individuals for alleged offences would be a matter for the police and Crown Prosecution Service, not the Government or House of Commons.
We could accept a petition calling for the Government to hold a public inquiry into the offering of accommodation in exchange for sex or sexual acts, which could explore the scale of the problem, how allegations of this activity are investigated by the police and prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service, and how the Government could tackle this problem.
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.