That is certainly the information that we have found, and even some of the advertisements that we’ve seen in Cardiff are actually offering rent for as little as a £1 for each month for accommodation, but to go along with sexual favours. So, why are we suddenly witnessing a spread of what can only be described as a vile and exploitative practice here? I think there can be little doubt that the homelessness problem, which affects many areas of the UK, but which is more prevalent in cities and deprived areas, has allowed unscrupulous and predatory landlords to exploit some of the most vulnerable in our society to satisfy their own sordid behaviours. We saw this happen in Paris during the height of its housing crisis in the previous decade, when the practice of accommodation for sexual favours became commonplace, and the Government there was forced to act with a major programme to deliver affordable housing, which they’d highlighted as the main contributory factor.

In this country, the issue has been picked up by some national media, including the BBC, ‘The Guardian’ and ‘The Times’, and was also raised recently in the Westminster Parliament by Hove MP, Peter Kyle, in relation to the problems in England. It was brought to my attention by Merthyr Valleys Homes, and I thank them very much for doing so.

If you are in any doubt about the motives of such landlords, and the basis upon which they believe they can behave in such a way, you only need to look at some of the justifications they gave to media when they were tackled about the adverts they had placed. One landlord defended it to BBC South East as being a ‘friend with benefits arrangement’, adding,

You can argue that high rent charged by landlords is taking advantage too. There’s no compulsion for them to do this…. Both sides have something the other person wants. I see it as a win-win situation.’

I bet he does. But there can be no doubt that these landlords are exploiting vulnerable people who cannot afford spiralling rents, by enticing them with the sex-for-rent deals. They would no doubt argue that tenants have chosen voluntarily to enter into these arrangements. The trouble is when you have a vulnerable person, who then becomes exploited, the concept of choice disappears, and this is tantamount to a form of modern-day slavery.

Through these adverts, these men—and in all cases identified, it is men—are intentionally targeting desperate women, and sometimes men, who feel that they have no other option—women and men who may already have experienced sexual or domestic violence. Research has shown that a large proportion of rough sleepers, a significant target for these landlords, have experienced some form of domestic violence, something that I can testify to from what I discovered during my time as a volunteer in the Merthyr night shelter over the winter of this year. But it’s not just the exploitation that occurs when the vulnerable person moves into the property under such an arrangement. Many of the adverts mirror the one in Bridgend, which I referred to earlier, and require a prospective tenant to meet up with the landlord beforehand to be checked out. This, in itself, exposes that vulnerable person to further risk.

So, my greatest concern is that this practice will become more prevalent unless action is taken to prevent it. And whilst the coverage of this issue by the national media is welcome, it does, of course, run the risk of making more unscrupulous landlords aware of the practice, and perhaps encouraging them to behave in the same vile manner. But neither can we ignore the fact that this is all set in the context of the impact of the Government’s programme of benefit cuts. The Tories’ local housing allowance cap for the under-35s, and other benefit caps for those under 22, will place many more people into vulnerable situations, making them the most likely targets and victims of these sexual predators. Llywydd, the astonishing thing about this whole sordid business is that this is actually legal. Why? Well, because in most cases no money is exchanged as part of any arrangement, and as such it is not even covered by legislation surrounding prostitution.

So, I welcome the opportunity to bring forward this legislative proposal today because this situation cannot be right, and I believe that we should be doing all we can to maintain our proud record here in Wales of being at the forefront of introducing legislation to protect the most vulnerable in our society. I’m sure that every Member of this Assembly will share my disgust at the sort of practice I have detailed here this afternoon, and will join me in asking the Cabinet Secretary and Welsh Government to consider any amendments to the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 that would make Wales the first nation of the UK to outlaw the practice of advertising free or reduced rents in return for sexual favours. Surely, this National Assembly and this Welsh Government will not stand by and allow such dreadful exploitation to continue because of legal loopholes. Together, we must find a way of putting a stop to this in Wales.