A UK landlord has defended offering women a place to stay in return for sex.
The man, identified only as 'Simon', spoke to ITV about his practice of advertising properties on Craigslist for free - with the caveat that his female tenant sleep with him.
"I'm seeking an arrangement," he says. "I'm very honest about what I say."
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He says he has been in three long-term 'sex for rent' relationships with women after they responded to his ads.
"They're not tenants, if you're a tenant you're paying rent."
Rather than interviewing potential partners, he says he likes to spend time with the women to get to know them.
"Three, four, five days - but there is no physical contact there."
It takes "two or three weeks" for the women to feel comfortable enough with the arrangement to fulfil their end of the bargain, he claims.
"It's not like you're walking in and I'm saying 'take your clothes off', because I'm not."
'Simon' denies that there's anything wrong with trading accommodation for sexual favours. While inciting someone to become a prostitute is a crime in the UK, the concept of 'sex for rent' has no known legal standing.
"I'm not a pervert," he says. "It's a relationship, but it's an arranged relationship."
The interview comes after an investigation by The Sun into Craigslist 'sex for rent' listings.
One landlord offered an undercover reporter a rent-free one-bedroom flat in the expensive Canary Wharf district of London in exchange for "other favours".
"Obviously we'll have to share the bed," he told her. "So we'll sleep together maybe. Maybe cuddling, we'll see what happens."
The Sun found dozens of London-based Craigslist ads for similar arrangements within just a few hours of searching.
The prospect of having sex with a landlord in exchange for free accommodation seems to be becoming more bearable for people struggling to pay rent in one of the world's most expensive cities.
Newshub.
