Evicting Housemate That is Renting Out Vacant Room For Prostitution

I’m currently living in a very nice apartment.

However, I found out that a housemate has been secretly renting out one of the recently vacated rooms to prostitutes and their clients (i.e. operating a "love hotel" type business). I believe this has been going on for 1 to 2 weeks.

I don’t want to go into details about how I found out (to preserve anonymity), but point is that I found out.

I’ve told the landlord, who has instructed her to stop using the room for prostitutes. As far as I know, these services have stopped. The housemate and I now actively ignore each other, and I think it’s pretty obvious that I was the snitch.

Here’s my problem. I would like this housemate to be evicted immediately. I obviously feel pretty uncomfortable sharing a home someone who was running a brothel out of the place where I eat, shower and sleep. However, the landlord is dragging his feet on evicting her immediately. The reason is to avoid end up losing money on an empty room while finding a tenant to replace her.

After reading the tenancy laws, I found out that there are sufficient grounds to evict this housemate immediately (for using the premises for illegal activities). Hence, I could involve the authorities to make the landlord evict them immediately. However, my lease ends in a month and I think if I did this, he would just not renew my lease.

I would really like to stay at my current place.

So how should I approach him? Do I try to work out a middle ground, bite my tongue or something else?

UPDATE

Thanks for the responses everyone.

The LL said that she will be leaving by a particular date. However, I'm not celebrating until her crap is out on the street and her keys are on the dining table.

There's some expectation on me to help find replacements. Anyone interested in a room which may or may not have been used for certain services?

In the meantime, I will be sanitizing the common areas and appliances including the washing machine. And until she leaves, I'm going to just hope I don't get stabbed or poisoned.

Comments

  • +5

    Find someone else (a friend?) who want to live with you and offer him/her to the landlord, ie: ask the landlord to replace your current flatmate with a new tenant who you already found. This means that the landlord does not lose money.

    • +2

      This seems like the logical course of action to me. If the has the option of evicting her, but doesn't out of financial concerns, then this would address those concerns, no?

    • and offer him/her to the landlord

      I think the room mate might be better connected to do this!

  • +2

    Your could always support your housemate's decision and help the workers avoid any workplace injuries by purchasing this for them.

  • Rent your room out privately higher than what you're paying in rent.. $$Profit?
    A little bit of healthy competition?

  • How do you know the LL isn't getting a piece of the action?

  • it worked in risky business for Tim cruise

  • What’s the address? Asking for a friend…

  • +22

    Plot twist:

    HighAndDry is my housemate.

    • Lol are you for real?

    • +1

      are you 36?

    • +7

      Reading the comments in the thread I wouldn't be surprised.

    • -1

      He and few others are the biggest douchebag of OZBargain community.

      Next time, just cast a neg vote on his post and ignore him.

    • -2

      I wish. Getting action, money, and living in "5-star hotel at 3-star prices"? Let us know where you're at!

    • Dam beat me to it! Even though High and Dry was calling you a man lol. I don't know why so many people choose to live with others when they don't know anything about them. If you're that strapped for cash and can't afford to rent a unit or something smaller then there is government housing trust or even NRAS rental properties. Or just stay at home until you can afford it…

      • Could be multiple reasons bro…
        - No family/home in Australia
        - Rental applications are quite hard and competitive nowdays
        - Same goes to Government housing

        • Well government will give you priority if you have no place to stay. The only time I could understand it happening is if there is a bad situation at the family home. Which wouldn't be the case for majority of people.

  • evict this housemate immediately (for using the premises for illegal activities).

    Prostitution is not illegal though. Also, how would you prove it? Lol. Could pay a private detective, I've read articles about councils hiring PI to do have paid sex at illegally operated brothels. This could work, but I'm sure it wouldn't be cheap, even though the PI probably enjoys his job.

    Your just renting a room from the sounds of it, if your an Australian citizen, then maybe sign up with housing department and get your own cheap place eventually, after bit of a wait. Could look privately for a cheap small unit or bedsitter, often this would be the same price as renting a room anyway. You would have a smaller place, but you have a space which is entirely yours rather than shared.

    Hope it all works out for you all.

    Try not to take the jokes here too much to heart, you gotta expect some humour and laughs when posting a thread such as yours.

    • Also, how would you prove it?

      Usually advertising.

      Councils are trying to evict 3rd parties out of buildings, which is much harder than tenancy law.

  • +1

    Ask for a cut or freebie, the OZbargain way

    • +1

      A coupon code ? Ozbargain classifieds perhaps ? Lol.

      • +2

        Cashrewards.

        • +1

          Tightass is working hard, on it as we speak.

  • +1

    where do you live? maybe we can help :)

  • +1

    Tell her to move out or you're notifying the tax department, and DFAT if they're from overseas, or Fair Work Australia is they're local, and Centrelink just for fun. They'll go.

  • +2

    Pics or it didn't happen.

  • +6

    AirTnA.com

  • +4

    Is this a script from bangbros?

  • Please invite me so I can talk to her……………………

  • -1

    Hi OP, that is disgusting you should leave the place not the other way round, landlord is a creep too.

    • +1

      Maybe the landlord scored a deal with her? 50% with coupon code GOBBY4YOU

  • +1

    Just rub a quick one out.

  • -1

    good job tell landlord life not easy he most try check what you said i know i had the same problem before check hardest part

  • -2

    You're annoying. If I was the landlord and you asked me to evict the other lady, I'd ask you to pay for the vacancy period.

  • +1

    Why you did make deal with her, you close your eyes for the "love hotel" and you can get something like vouchers for free services. Total bargain.

  • +2

    The house mate is in breach of certain Acts if they are earning a living of the prostitutes.

    I also think it does not look good if you are seen in the same establishment where are brothel operates as the public may think you are one providing similar services.

    The law does allow 1 sex worker per dwelling (house/unit) however if there is multiple sex workers this would be illegal.

    A quick call to police and council should assist in clarifying things.

    New South Wales (NSW) has the most liberal legislation on prostitution in Australia, with almost complete decriminalisation, and has been a model for other jurisdictions such as New Zealand. Brothels are legal in NSW under the Summary Offences Act 1988.[36] The main activities that are illegal are:

    living on the earnings of a prostitute, although persons who own or manage a brothel are exempt
    causing or inducing prostitution (procuring: Crimes Act s.91A,B)
    using premises, or allowing premises to be used, for prostitution that are held out as being available for massage, sauna baths, steam baths, facilities for exercise, or photographic studios
    advertising that a premise is used for prostitution, or advertising for prostitutes
    soliciting for prostitution near or within view of a dwelling, school, church or hospital
    engaging in child prostitution (Crimes Act s.91C-F)[37]

    Hope this helps

    https://aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/publications/proceedi…

    http://apo.org.au/system/files/60092/apo-nid60092-29371.pdf

    http://www.lawfoundation.net.au/ljf/site/templates/grants/$file/legalFactsEnglish.pdf

  • +3

    Tell the landlord that you'd like to lease both of the rooms. Make it clear that the other tenant can not be trusted, but you can.
    Then turn around and sub-lease the room. You said it's such a hidden gem, right? 5 stars for the price of 3 stars? Well, here's your opportunity to make a little profit. Rent it from your landlord for the 3 star price and sub let it to your tenant for a 4 star price. Problem solved, everyone's a winner!

    • +1

      Thanks I think this is a really good idea.

      I might just do a slight variation of it where I offer the landlord to help rent out this housemate's room (maybe even for a better price than what she's paying). Just getting her out is profit enough for me lol. I ain't hard to please at this point hahaha

      • I might just do a slight variation of it where I offer the landlord to help rent out this housemate's room

        Probably have to do better than that because as of now, he has both rooms rented out and doesn't need any help.

  • +1

    Most likely they must have used your toothbrush to scrub the white stains

  • +1

    Remember to post any and ALL bargains you cum across on this site.

  • +1

    HI Welcome to the Forum

  • Tread carefully. The landlord would be within their rights to evict you (via a "no grounds eviction") and keep the madame there to take a slice of her profits.

  • +1

    One of our friends realised some lady who was booking their 4 bedroom house on airbnb was using it as an illegal brothel. Something to be weary of, if you have a solo person (in this case was an Asian lady) booking a multi bedroom house for a few weeks.

  • I would of just asked for a cut of the takings why would you rat her in? you could of profited

  • +1

    Put this sign on your door: "We will beat any advertised price by 5%".
    Drive her out of business the OzBargain way.

    • Maybe add in a special "and if you like to be beaten its 10%"

  • Hence, I could involve the authorities to make the landlord evict them immediately. However, my lease ends in a month and I think if I did this, he would just not renew my lease.

    I could be wrong, but if I'm landlord, and you evicted my tenant. I'd be mad, sure. But I would probably still renew your lease. Losing one tenant vs losing two tenant, I'd probably rather lose just one.

    However, if the place is super undervalued in terms of rent, then I'd probably look for two new tenants who'd pay me more.

    • +1

      I think it depends on his views on someone running a brothel. If he hated it, he would have started the eviction process on his own.

      Maybe he just rather wait until the house mate contract is up and just not renew it.

      Or maybe he doesn't care and as long as the person stops doing anything illegal, then he'll just keep both tenants if they want to stay. Easiest option for him

      • Exactly this. The landlord can but doesn't have to evict the other tenant, as long as they've stopped using the place as a love hotel. They apparently have stopped, so now OP is just whining. OP has no grounds to evict anyone, it's not their place.

  • +2

    The entire story is pretty ridiculous.

    However, I found out that a housemate has been secretly renting out one of the recently vacated rooms to prostitutes and their clients (i.e. operating a "love hotel" type business). I believe this has been going on for 1 to 2 weeks.

    There's nothing inherently illegal about this.

    Here’s my problem. I would like this housemate to be evicted immediately.

    You are not the landlord, you do not have any right to evict anybody.

    I obviously feel pretty uncomfortable sharing a home someone who was running a brothel out of the place where I eat, shower and sleep.

    If that is so, then you are free to find a new place to live. Just because someone else does something that makes you uncomfortable does not give you the right to evict them. Remember, you don't own the place.

    However, the landlord is dragging his feet on evicting her immediately. The reason is to avoid end up losing money on an empty room while finding a tenant to replace her.

    Who paid for the property, you or the landlord?

    After reading the tenancy laws, I found out that there are sufficient grounds to evict this housemate immediately (for using the premises for illegal activities). Hence, I could involve the authorities to make the landlord evict them immediately. However, my lease ends in a month and I think if I did this, he would just not renew my lease.

    There's nothing illegal about renting out a room to someone who who wishes to use it to sleep with someone else. It's not a love hotel, don't be silly. Regardless, your understanding of tenancy laws is wrong. There is sufficient grounds to evict someone using the premises for illegal activities if the landlord wishes to do so.

    You have no right to evict anybody. When you buy a place and you let people live in it, then you can evict people.

    I would really like to stay at my current place.

    You could always offer to buy it from the landlord. Then you get to evict people!

    So how should I approach him? Do I try to work out a middle ground, bite my tongue or something else?

    It's his place, he gets to call the shots.

    In the meantime, I will be sanitizing the common areas and appliances including the washing machine. And until she leaves, I'm going to just hope I don't get stabbed or poisoned.

    Not sure what the paranoia is about…

    • -1

      There's nothing illegal about renting out a room to someone who who wishes to use it to sleep with someone else. It's not a love hotel, don't be silly.

      That's not at all what was described.

      The entire story is pretty ridiculous.
      Seems the situation was not so ridiculous if the landlord has decided to not renew the tenant's lease.

      Applaud your efforts for the long post though…

      • +2

        That's not at all what was described.

        That's exactly what was described. I'm renting out my room to two people who want to use it to sleep together. The fact that there might be money being exchanged doesn't change anything. Prostitution (regardless of any personal feelings about it) is legal.

        Seems the situation was not so ridiculous if the landlord has decided to not renew the tenant's lease.

        I think you misunderstand. I'm not saying that the landlord should or should not renew the tenant's lease, that's the landlord's decision. The ridiculousness of the situation comes from OP's angle - that they feel they have the right (as another tenant, not the landlord) to evict another tenant.

        • Yes, prostitution is legal.

          Prostitution in, near or in view of a church, school or dwelling is not legal.

          If I paid a latte and someone serves me tea, I'm going to make a complaint. I paid for the use a residential property and instead got a brothel. Hence, I am making a complaint.

          • +2

            @catalina36:

            If I paid a latte and someone serves me tea, I'm going to make a complaint. I paid for the use a residential property and instead got a brothel. Hence, I am making a complaint.

            You can make a complaint to the owner, you can choose to never go to that cafe again, you could even take legal action against the cafe (might be dumb, but you can). However, you cannot fire the person who gave you tea instead of latte.

            Analogous situation here, you can complain to the landlord, but you cannot evict the other person because they are renting out their room to someone who is using it to sleep with people. You have no right, as a tenant, to evict another tenant. Even if they were doing something blatantly illegal, you may choose to go to the police, you can choose to report it to the landlord, but you cannot evict them.

        • +1

          The fact that there might be money being exchanged doesn't change anything. Prostitution (regardless of any personal feelings about it) is legal.

          It's not always legal. If you read the first page of comments, there's some discussions on when this is and is not legal and how laws may vary by state.

          • @saintmagician0: Whether it's illegal on part of the other tenant (as opposed to the prostitutes actually renting and using the property) turns a lot on proving whether they knew its use. That's incredibly hard to prove, and so far all the other tenant has done is probably breach her lease by just short-term letting out the property without the landlord's permission.

  • +4

    Sounds like over-reaction to me.
    I wouldn't want to share a house with it but 'disinfecting the whole house' and all the extra trouble you're going to is a bit of an over-reaction.

    • +2

      Looks like I'm coming over your house to (profanity) my gf then lol

      • +2

        Lol that's totally fine,

        Just don't bring run-down pros and their hobo-looking clients over here.

      • It's only fair - that's where I did

  • so:
    you want the landlord to lose revenue
    you want the person made homeless

    because …. ? your morals were offended?

    and you ask if anyone is looking for a place to see if they want to come live with you lol, crazytown.

    • +3

      I'll come (profanity) in Your house will pay you 20 bucks…

      So many money hungry grubs in this joint that will do anything for money no matter how grotty.

      Shouldn't be surprised this is ozbogan after all

      • -1

        the activity has stopped, landlord is making arrangements but as per the post she wants them gone IMMEDIATELY, no opportunity to make other arrangements when nothing questionable either healthwise or legality wise is occurring

        • +1

          when nothing questionable either healthwise …

          How do you know this? I am no expert – but another member has provided this info.

          Whether the facts actually stack up are not so important - it is OP ultimately who is exposed to the health risks (if any), the rest of us can debate from afar …

          Seems reasonable if OP wants to be risk-averse and protect herself.

          • -1

            @bluesky: you are right of course, people had sex there??!?!?! burn it down! treat it like a Mr Fluffy home, start again, rebuild!

            • @iainmacsoul: I respect OP’s tolerance (whatever it may be), where it concerns her own health risks, just as I respect yours.

              • -3

                @bluesky: from the original post "Here’s my problem. I would like this housemate to be evicted immediately"

                not much tolerance in that is my point

            • +2

              @iainmacsoul: I think you're conflating two different things.

              Sex as part of your personal life in my place —-> good
              Starting brothel in my place —-> bad

              • -1

                @catalina36: to put it in terms you clearly prefer

                Complaining to Landlord to have action ceased and (if landlord determines) termination of lease with reasonable time granted to find other accomodation —-> good

                "I would like this housemate to be evicted immediately" —-> bad

                and another gem:
                "The LL said that she will be leaving by a particular date. However, I'm not celebrating until her crap is out on the street"

                lol. WOW.

                • -1

                  @iainmacsoul: Says the guy who quietly exits through the back door when I call for volunteers to take in my housemate

                  • +1

                    @catalina36: lol at how weak that response is. no point to make to show that you arent a complete self centred snowflake, just that i didnt volunteer when i probably dont even live in the right state. have no interest in taking in a renter. am happy with my own home.

                    move alone catalina, you have no substance, just came here to cry about with your first world problems

                    • @iainmacsoul: Does your lack of interest in taking in a renter outweigh her desperate need for a place to stay?

                      Surely you've got a little more compassion than me right? Are you going to just let her stay out there on the street?

                • @iainmacsoul: You know what they say - don't count your chickens before they hatch.

                • @iainmacsoul: Exactly, right? OP is a vindictive b****, since as far as she knows, the housemate has already stopped renting out the vacant room.

    • +7

      My housemate won't be homeless if you offer to share your place of residence with her (and her clients).

      Would I be able to forward her your details?

      • guess i just have a different bar before i would be happy trying to get someone made homeless 'immediately'.

        no thank you for the offer, not renting and have no desire nor need to sublet any part of my home, hated renting the landlord gets to treat it like they own the place, madness eh!?

        • +1

          I am not an unempathetic person – if it were someone with a mental illness, or down on their luck, I will probably assess things differently. For this person, the likelihood is that her situation is not that dire. In any case, she is out by a particular date – not immediately.

          • -1

            @bluesky: from the original post "Here’s my problem. I would like this housemate to be evicted immediately"

      • +1

        @catalina36 Sure thing. Email me at [email protected] :)

  • sounds like your roommate was the provider tbh

  • +1

    UPDATE

    In the meantime, I will be sanitizing the common areas and appliances including the washing machine.
    And until she leaves, I'm going to just hope I don't get stabbed or poisoned.

    Wow. You really seem to have some obsession about 'prostitution and cleanliness'.

    As if every sex worker is some kind of Typhoid Mary (or Typhoid Candy maybe?) spreading disease merely by virtue of their very existence. You do know about germ theory, don't you?

    Perhaps what needs sanitizing is not your apartment but your mind and your nineteenth century attitudes and beliefs.

    You don't need to make absurd excuses for your prejudice and disgust towards someone else's choice of lifestyle. Just admit it, own it. Going on about dirty and unclean and poisoning, etc is unnecessary and makes you look medieval.

    Accept your hatred and spite. You do not need to sugar coat it with a veneer of extra irrationality.

    • +3

      Whats wrong with cleaning the apartment? Cleaning your washing machine once in a while makes it last longer as well.

      • I mean, that's exactly the point. It's something OP should have been doing regularly to begin with. And honestly - "I hope I don't get stabbed or poisoned" - OP has a flair for melodrama that's for sure.

    • Hmmmm

      Alright that's fair enough

  • You got a contact number? Asking for a friend.

  • Tenants can keep a pet under the new Victorian laws without permission.

    If it is OK to keep a dog, I can't see the problem with an active pussie.

    • lol no… you still require a written consent from the landlord. Active (profanity) meant business which you should not have been doing behind the landlord's back.

  • +11

    Had a good read through and I am honestly shocked at how much crap OP is getting from this community for wanting a clean safe place to live in. I wonder how much these big mouths would have to say if they were going home to these circumstances and dont give me that this is ozbargain I want a freebie - that just proves you are disgusting.

    • +2

      Agreed, people have lost the plot.
      Just like in the "iPhone XR Stolen in Vodafone Store Just after I Signed Contract" thread.

    • -4

      You're missing the point. OP is not getting crap for wanting a clean, safe place to live. OP is getting crap for being arrogant and judgmental. Let me explain.

      First, we need to establish what exactly is going on. OP's housemate is sub-letting their room Airbnb style to other people. Those people happen to be in the business of being paid for sex.

      Regardless of the legality of prostitution or otherwise, it's clear that OP's housemate is not running a brothel or operating any sort of business besides sub-letting their room. This seriously limits any legal responsibility OP's housemate might have in this entire situation.

      The issue for me is OP's moral grandstanding and "holier than thou" attitude. OP is not "better" than their housemate and is not more entitled to a place to live than their housemate. OP is a tenant in a shared property, not the landlord. OP has no right to decide who lives in that property or not, nor who gets evicted or not. That is a decision for the landlord. OP has no right, moral or legal, to be trying to evict somebody.

      On top of that, the undertones of superiority disgust me. The idea that sex workers or their clients are unhygenic, carry diseases, are likely to stab you (seriously, wtf) demonstrates why we continue to have discrimination against sex workers and their clients in our society. Nobody is forcing OP to live the life of a prostitute, to see one, or to interact with one, but every person deserves basic human respect, not snide and crude remarks based on their situation which we may not understand.

      I think that it's a highly inconvenient situation for OP and OP is within their rights to not want to live in that house. None of that changes the legal aspects of what's going on.

      • +1

        You're missing the point. OP's housemate is sub-letting their room Airbnb style to other people. Those people happen to be in the business of being paid for sex.

        Once again you have completely missed the point. OP's housemate is not sub-letting their room. They are, in OP's words, renting out one of the recently vacated rooms, that is, not their room, but another room. Surely the OP would have used the word their if they actually meant that.

        • -1

          In that case, then the landlord should rightfully be evicting the other person. It doesn't change the fact that OP has no right to evict anybody.

        • Doesn't matter - it's not OP's room, it's the landlord's room.

    • +2

      havok44 can I give you a hug?

      So true your point about if the shoe was on the other foot with a few of these posters. None have come forward to to take in my housemate. Guys, please show me how to be compassionate and more tolerant of others. Sign a six month lease with her (prostitutes and clients included in the package) and I'll even help her pack and drive her to your place.

      Reminds me of those people that sit around talking about how great it would be to reduce poverty - but don't want to open up their own wallets. Other people's wallets yeah sure, but my wallet? F that.

      • +2

        Totally agree. Talk is cheap, the biggest mouths tend to be the biggest cowards. Ignore them. Don't respond, that's what fuels them. You don't owe them anything!
        Focus on those providing useful feedback, you do have some legal support, otherwise as someone said. Rent it out entirely and organise your own roommate once you're completely happy with them.
        You will get through this!
        Here is a hug from me!!

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