Sex-for-Rent Arrangements: What UK Students Have to Do for a Place to Live?

If you still believe “rent-for-sex” arrangements are a myth, think twice! The latest BBC Three documentary called “Ellie Undercover: Rent for Sex” will show the harsh reality of student accommodations. The Typical Student previously told you about 75,000 UK Students Registered on Adult Sites in 2017 to Pay for Education. Turns out, now poor students have to sex up their landlords for a place to live!

The BBC Three documentary reveals the shocking truth about “sex-for-rent” offers, which are particularly popular in the Manchester area. Such ads are mostly targeting female students who are offered an accommodation free of charge if they provide regular sex for a male landlord. Still, Manchester is just a small part of the picture, as the “sex-for-rent” trend is spreading nationwide.

“Sex-for-Rent” Situation in the UK: Key Facts

For the sake of shooting the documentary, journalist Ellie Flynn decided to investigate how many offers like this one can come across. She claims she got dozens of replies while conducting her investigation and was shocked this situation even exists in small towns. Here’s what Ms Flynn shared in her documentary:

• “Rent-for-sex” arrangements are about power. Landlords seeking for tenants like want someone who can’t say no.  
• Landlords have the “sense of entitlement” for free sex without thinking about the other person.
• The landlords are predominantly male seeking for women or men likewise. Ellie claims she never came across the female landlords offering the same “rent-for-sex” arrangements.
• Surprisingly, many landlords are unaware these actions are illegal. According to Ellie, the landlords don’t fully understand such practices constitute sexual assault.

Feel free to watch the documentary trailer you've already heard so much about:

To see the full video, go to BBC official website.

Reasons Why “Sex-for-Rent” Arrangements are on the Rise in the UK?

Getting an affordable accommodation in the UK is a problem. Not only London and Manchester pose a difficulty for students, however homelessness in Manchester is currently on the rise. It is Ellie’s belief that things like renting out the apartments in exchange for sex has been happening for a while now. As long as ads websites like craigslist exist, preying on vulnerable people will be incredibly easy.