Diolch, Llywydd. Right. ‘Free room to spare for a woman willing to carry out household chores naked.’ ‘Free accommodation, willing to offer more intimate favours.’ Extracts from a sleazy magazine or novel? No. These are part of actual adverts placed by landlords on Craigslist or Gumtree, offering accommodation rent-free in return for sexual favours. And are these isolated incidents? Well, unfortunately, not.

If you search #sexforrent, you will find hundreds of adverts like this. Initially, this practice seems to have developed in major cities, such as London, Birmingham and Bristol, but it’s certainly spreading across the UK. And it now appears to have taken hold in Scotland, and, regrettably, we’re starting to see this happening in Wales.

For example, a recent Cardiff advert stated, ‘Flats to let. One- and two-bedroom apartments in Cardiff and the Valleys. Tenants with benefits must reply with a picture.’ In Bridgend: ‘Would welcome someone who enjoys a naturist lifestyle. If you’re looking for a room to rent and into the lifestyle, get in contact with some details about yourself. This is not a first-come, first-served basis, we’ll want to meet and get to know, and discuss the ground rules and services required.’

Research by Shelter in August 2016 revealed 288 adverts offering free accommodation on the Craigslist site, and a further 51 offering accommodation for under £10 a month, most of which made either direct or veiled references to sexual favours in return.