Utah AG: Renters can report landlords who pressure them for sex

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Utah law enforcement and human trafficking advocates want tenants to report landlords who ask for sex in exchange for housing.

Sexual harassment of tenants has been a growing concern as many people face economic hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study from the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), which found a 13% increase in sexual harassment complaints since the coronavirus pandemic began.

Federal and state law prohibit the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain sex, according to Daniel Strong, section director at the Utah Attorney General’s Office SECURE strike force.

“Any time you have more desperate people out there, you’re going to have traffickers looking to take advantage of that desperation, so I expect it to get worse in the near future,” Strong said.

Strong says landlords can face felony human trafficking charges if they are found to be exchanging rent for sex.

Taking advantage of something someone needs and using that to obtain sex from them is a form of human trafficking. We know people are in greater need of housing and things like food, water, shelter, and we expect to see traffickers exploiting that,” Strong said.

Read the Department of Justice Sexual Harassment in Housing Partnership toolkit here.

Human trafficking advocates say exchanging sex for rent is a form of "survival sex."

“Many people are more vulnerable than they’ve ever been,” said Terry Palmer with the 3 Strands Global Foundation, an organization focused on education of human trafficking. “Some landlords see that vulnerability and they take advantage of it.”

Exchanging sex for rent is considered by federal housing officials to be a form of sexual harassment.

Tenants who are sexually harassed can file a complaint with HUD on the agency’s website.

Strong, the Attorney General’s Office prosecutor, says tenants can also contact the AG’s office or local law enforcement to report concerns about human trafficking, including pressure from a landlord to engage in sex for rent.

In Utah, tenants who are struggling to pay rent can call 211 to be connected with housing resources.