Have you ever rented from a private landlord in the UK? Please take our survey

[JustineBMumsnet]

Research suggests that tens of thousands of women are propositioned to take up a ‘sex for rent’ offer each year, where landlords offer free or discounted housing in return for sexual favours. The government has now committed to undertake a consultation on this issue.

Mumsnet is working with Generation Rent, the campaign group for private renters, to find out how commonplace this type of behaviour is. We’re looking for responses from anyone who has rented in the UK, regardless of whether they’re currently renting, or if they’ve experienced behaviour related to sex for rent offers or not.

All Mumsnet members who complete the survey and leave their details at the end will be entered into Mumsnet’s monthly prize draw where 3 Mumsnet users will win a £150 voucher for a store of their choice (from a list).

Click here to complete the survey

Thanks

MNHQ & Generation Rent

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I think this survey could be really hard to do if you have had these problems.
The way the questions break the behaviour down prompts you to remember so many details. I couldn’t bear to fill it in frankly.

Completed but agree could be triggering for some.

It may also be worth adding a question on the sex of the landlord/lady? I don't have any negative experiences but have only had female landladies.

Oh here we go, finding another reason to attack landlords

How about we start a questionnaire asking landlords how often they've been on the receiving end of terrible behaviour from tenants? That would be an interesting one.

@Treacletoots seriously??!

I agree, it’s insensitive to ask these sorts of questions in such a cold, clinical survey. I started answering but was put completely off, too triggering.

I’m sure it happens but tens of thousands is a gross exaggeration. On the other side is one guy locally who has quite a reputation, he repairs domestic appliances and is quite open to being propositioned to do it for free.
That sort of thing spreads very quickly LOL

I rent from my dad... 😬🤢

@Treacletoots

Oh here we go, finding another reason to attack landlords

How about we start a questionnaire asking landlords how often they've been on the receiving end of terrible behaviour from tenants? That would be an interesting one.

Well that's very true. As a (female) landlord I've certainly experienced that sort of behaviour from male tenants - propositioning, groping, flashing ... And very obviously, as a female landlord, (and according to the latest NRLA survey some 45 per cent of landlords are female) I have never perpetrated any of that sort of behaviour.

Also in my community voluntary work I have had quite a lot of the same behaviour - from men. The problem is, as always, with some men - whether they happen to be landlords, tenants, hospital patients, plumbers, whatever.

The question about "unwanted presence at your property" doesn't fit there. There's nothing to suggest that it was for sexual reasons. It's going to really distort your findings.

Very good point Tristesee

Permitting an organisation named Generation Rent to take part in forming government policy is Age Discrimination.

One inherent assumption is that a certain age cohort, covering twenty-ish years, are the only people who could need to rent.

Seek facts before setting parameters for meaningful 'research': Reaching the age of 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100 does not magically make anyone a secure-for-life council tenant, nor magically make them home-owners.

A second thing taken for granted is that no man would try to have sex with any woman outside that 20-30s age band. (!)

Seek facts (available in Independent Age and Rowntree research, among others). Corpses are not invulnerable, every helpless person from one year old to a hundred and one is vulnerable.Incarcerated people, unconscious people, mute people, disabled people, hospital patients and of course women of every age are liable to be propositioned, or, if particularly vulnerable, to be simply raped. (A chinese olympics official had boasted online about the amusement he found as a boy, raping, beating, humiliating and torturing a disabled, mute, classmate)

So, no, the only people likely to be subjected to sexual approaches or assaults in trying to get a roof over their heads are not those age-prejudiced enough to define themselves as 'generation rent'
(Fact check, again, unpartnered 21-39's mainly live with chummies or mummies)

Our Government asking this curiously limited group to conduct their survey is akin to them asking an organisation called Irish in England:
Their information is not invalid, but nor is it the least representative of the whole picture of everyone's life in England.

There's another organisation taking government money to give the opinion of a -prejudiced lobby group- 'think tank': On many aspects of government policy a fee goes to the -Age Hate- 'Resolution' Foundation.

( 'Resolution' being a slightly less sinister name than 'Final Solution )

I wish I had put some figures into the response box. Average rents for renting a single UK room on the private market, is currently £1,000 a month, now the population has exploded, and is shooting higher every day. To live in that room rent free, the tenant who has agreed to prostitute him/herself to the landlord, would have a voluntary agreement with a single 'customer'.

I don't agree with prostitution. However, bear in mind that for most women in most of the world, and in UK until very recent years, women are forced into 'paying' for the roof over their heads by agreeing to sex-on-demand with the man who owns the house and 'owns' them.

For renting a room in a brothel, with little control over the customers, she would actually pay the brother-owner £1,000 a week. (Figures from case in Southwark Crown Court reported today in Mail)

Perhaps, to ease the difficulty of finding a creep-free room to rent, the legislators might first do a re-valuation of property for council tax purposes (with an option to charge on the unearned untaxed profit, from housing shortage, which now means the average home earns more by profiting from exploding population and resulting housing shorting, than the average owner does from work)

The second thing they could do is not only charge double, triple or whatever council tax seems effective, on homes left entirely or mainly empty, and reduced council tax on those used as the main residence of the owner.

The third thing they could do is charge an under-occupation surcharge on people hogging extra rooms. Creeps would have some cause to think twice before offering rent-free rooms, if those surplus rooms were costing them a council tax surcharge, and on a fair and updated valuation. More of them would be obliged to charge a proper rent, or downsize.

Politicians may be getting themselves over-exited by the complaints of the group otherwise known as 'snowflakes'. The creeps who will be creeps do not restrict their domestic predatory activities to that self identified elite age group. Friends who are cleaners explain that creeps expect a great deal, as part of the deal, or even by force.

The question about "unwanted presence at your property" doesn't fit there. There's nothing to suggest that it was for sexual reasons. It's going to really distort your findings.

No but it can be intimidating and uncomfortable if a landlord turns up unannounced especially if there are only women in the property. A landlord used to do this all the time when I was renting in university, he was notorious in the city for doing it. He would only rent to females and wouldn't hesitate to turn up around 6-7pm, the most likely time we would be showering/getting ready for a night out.

Did he ever sexually proposition us? No. But his behaviour was totally creepy and unacceptable.

@Treacletoots

Oh here we go, finding another reason to attack landlords

How about we start a questionnaire asking landlords how often they've been on the receiving end of terrible behaviour from tenants? That would be an interesting one.

You're adding to the reasons, honestly

@Treacletoots

Oh here we go, finding another reason to attack landlords

How about we start a questionnaire asking landlords how often they've been on the receiving end of terrible behaviour from tenants? That would be an interesting one.

True!!!

No, it's bollocks. Who is in the position of power here? (Clue, it's not the tenants).

Whinging landlords are pretty sick making really, there seem to be a lot of them on Mumsnet. If it's so difficult please do everyone a favour and sell up.

Totally wasn't expecting those questions! Thought it would be about cost of rent or repairs. We rented from private landlord as students and it was fine!

Filing this out I remembered coming home to pick something up before work, after being at my boyfriend’s house, and finding my landlord in my bed. So that was nice. I’d actually forgotten that one amongst the pile of sexual harassment accumulated over a few decades. Another day, another creep.

Apparently according to .gov 45% of landlords are female so if you are uncomfortable with a male landlord there are plenty of alternatives. A friend of mine (female) has a couple of flats she rents out and always advertises for a “single professional”, chooses male tenants - they stay longer and are less trouble.

But not always, a story she tells about a guy that was found to be growing cannabis in the bathroom, he was a Jehovas Witness and begged her not to tell the church.

There's a lack of logic in hating people who provide a service to you. About half are women, and most of either

... of either sex are not predatory creeps. Creeps are, however, all around us all the time and everywhere, and of course will seek prey.

@butnobodytoldme I have to say I don't even understand many of your points, so won't be commenting on them. Apart from your crazy figures. Where on earth did you get the average room rent as £1000? Here's a link to the Spareroom 2021 survey showing average rents ranging from £420 in Northern Ireland to £768 in London. With most rents outside London being between £450 and £520.
www.spareroom.co.uk/content/info-landlords/average-rent-uk

I think a useful question might also be if you’ve lived in an HMO or close to other renters with the same landlord.

Mine also entered two other properties without warning - both also rented by single females.

And govt should recognise that there may be additional laws being broken wrt to upkeep, housing benefits, rates. Eg forcing tenants to accept responsibilities that legally the landlord is responsible for, threats of rent increases if normal repairs are insisted on etc

Landlords just want their rent paid on time and for decent tenants to look after their properties. All of you moaning about landlords, if you can't do that, just say :)