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

  • +248

    grabs popcorn

    • +10

      I'm out of votes, 1+.

    • +1

      Yeah, I've got a feeling this will be one hell of a ride.

      • +6

        It's not a free ride mate ;)

        • +12

          No money, no honey

          • +1

            @OzzyOzbourne: Doesn't matter if you've got the money, you've now got no hive by the sounds of it

      • No more rides going on here

    • +6

      Bribe the roommate and get a discount.

    • +10

      This is not going to have a happy ending.

  • +8

    I dunno what state you are in but prostitution is legal in many states of Australia. So he might not have been breaking the law there.

    • By hosting, I mean that she was making the room available to prostitutes to use (and presumably accepting a cut of the payments from clients).

      i.e. she was operating a "love hotel" type business from the room.

      • +4

        Is your house mate male or female as referred to them as him in your post now you say her. Are you sure your housemate was not the prostitute?

        Is prostitution legal in your state - it is in a lot of Australia.

        Try talking to your housemate, I wouldn't be embarrassed about dobbing them in, what they did is totally unacceptable by any reasonable standard, and you shouldn't pretend otherwise. You should also tell them that they wont be renewing the lease with you and that they should start looking for a new place.

        • +20

          Not if they operate without a license and paying taxes

        • +20

          The housemate is female. The landlord is male.

          It's legal in this state but only if you have a development consent.

          Dunno if she is a prostitute as well. She's pretty damn old and crusty so I'm guessing she has a more managerial/facilitator role.

          • +16

            @catalina36:

            Dunno if she is a prostitute as well. She's pretty damn old and crusty so I'm guessing she has a more managerial/facilitator role

            Hahahaha👍

            • +1

              @payton: How hard is it to evict a vegemite sandwich?

            • +2

              @payton: mamasan lol

          • +4

            @catalina36: How crusty? on a scale from 1 - 10?

    • +5

      its legal with a licence. Doubt this individual has a licence to operate said brothel.

    • +2

      its legal in a lot of states yes, but there is rule's and regulations that need to be followed, and opening up a private rental to whore out someone is still not legal in any state.

    • Outcalls yes, but not incalls without a license - incalls without a license = 100% illegal brothel.

      • -3

        This doesn't seem to be an incall - it seems to be prostitutes themselves making the short-term rental, like anyone else renting a room on airbnb for just one night.

        • Also known as incalling: https://www.quora.com/Escorting-What-is-an-incall-as-opposed…

          It's very illegal.

          • -2

            @c0balt: Illegal for the prostitute. Not for a potentially unwitting airbnb host. Also I think you're even misreading that definition. The prostitutes in this case have no "place of business". They're renting rooms on a case by case basis it seems.

            • +1

              @HighAndDry: …That's what I wrote.

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

              That's what the OP wrote. It's very clear that this place was being used as a brothel and not the prostitute going to her clients places.

              I find it really strange you also upvoted people below stating that OP doesn't have an increased chance of contracting HPV & herpes. Surely someone as well read as you consider yourself to be, would have looked at the information stating that HPV can be transmitted without skin on skin contact and that the disease can live outside the human body for some time?

              • -4

                @c0balt:

                It's very clear that this place was being used as a brothel and not the prostitute going to her clients places.

                OP's housemate isn't the prostitute. For all they know, it's just being rented out on airbnb. Which is still a breach of the housemate's lease most likely, but hardly cause for the hysterics OP is in.

                Surely someone as well read as you consider yourself to be, would have looked at the information stating that HPV can be transmitted without skin on skin contact and that the disease can live outside the human body for some time?

                Yes. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I'm also well-read enough to know that 80% of the population tests positive for HPV-1 (cold-sores) antibodies, and the medically recommended course of action for it is, and this is published, literally to do nothing unless there's an outbreak. I'm serious - the professional medical bodies published recommendation for suspected HPV-1 infection in the absence of symptoms, is NOT EVEN TO TEST FOR IT.

                So you're right there might be an elevated risk of HPV (not really that elevated - how much higher can you go than 80% of the population?) but it's certainly (again) no cause for the hysterics that OP is showing.

                • +2

                  @HighAndDry: I never said otherwise.

                  Also it's 75% for herpes, it's much lower for HPV - but I can see how you would make that mistake as you seem to read what you want to read to be combative, and not what is actually infront of you.

                  • -4

                    @c0balt:

                    Also it's 75% for herpes, it's much lower for HPV

                    Oh damn, mea culpa there. I did misread HPV as HSV(?). Though it doesn't help your argument - HPV can be vaccinated against unlike HSV. If OP (or yourself) is worried about HPV, go get a vaccine. For women, I think the vaccine is free. For men, it's not free but HPV also does basically nothing to men anyway.

                    • +2

                      @HighAndDry: Actually, it does.. it shows a clear lack of you reading what people write or the factual information they link to. It proves my point that you just read what you want to read to be combative.

                      Also strange that you don't know that HPV can't be vaccinated against once you have it. Nor are all strains vaccinated against (the ones that can cause cervical cancer are, but not the ones that cause benign warts). It's not a free vaccination for men anyway.

                      Please do further research before giving horrible medical advice. If you share a bathroom with a prostitute and her clients you stand a drastic increase in contracting HPV than if you don't. It's that simple, really.

                      • -4

                        @c0balt: I'm not giving medical advice - also, what kind of moron would take medical advice from an internet forum anyway?

                        Yeah I concede it's my bad to have misread HPV for HSV-1, but again, you can vaccinate against HPV, and if OP already has it, it's too late anyway.

                        The hysterics of "OMG you'll contract XYZ from your toilet seat" is so last-decade.

                        • +2

                          @HighAndDry: I never wrote toilet seat in public bathrooms.

                          I wrote clearly that sharing a personal bathroom increases your chances of contracting a disease as it increases your exposure to those diseases. Living with a prostitute who's clients have access to your bathroom, including towels to dry off, will increase your chances of contracting a STI than if you didn't share a bathroom with a prostitute and their clients.

                          There are people in this thread who don't believe that and wrote that it won't increase the chances, and you upvoted their comments despite me linking to medical knowledge that clearly contradicts their claims.

                          I don't care what decade we are in, if you want to spread misinformation that can put people at risk of getting a STI, then you are incredibly unhelpful to the point of being malicious.

                          • -5

                            @c0balt:

                            I never wrote toilet seat in public bathrooms.

                            Neither did I. Who's "reading what they want to read" now?

                            Living with a prostitute

                            OP's housemate isn't a prostitute. Christ, really? And you accuse me of being unable to read?

  • +28

    Christ…if I had a room mate that hosted prostitutes I would immediately ask how I can get into the action (perhaps a freebie).

    • +6

      You sir is the definition of a bogan and bargainer!

      • +3

        And carrier of STDs

        • +4

          Practice safe sex and you will be okay. All types of interaction with another person involve some level of risk, at least you're going into the situation knowing full well what you're consenting to.

          • @doodo477: Ever heard of herpes or HPV? People can be carriers with or without symptoms, and all it needs is basic skin on skin contact, or coming into contact with a wayward fluid and you'll have a disease for life.

            Having their clients (more likely to be a disease carrier than normal population) around a kitchen/bathroom that you will be using drastically increases the chances of contracting a disease.

            • +2

              @c0balt: @c0balt

              Herpes and or HPV only are highly contagious if the person infected is having a out-break. Can be easily transmitted in saliva or body fluids if the person is experiencing a out-break.

              Otherwise the chance of catching HPV, Herpes if you don't have skin on skin contact with the person during a out-break is very small risk. Also it's good not to have any rashes open poor's on your skin to reduce the risk of transmission.

              For the successful transmission of HPV/Herpes you will need to have a skin lesion, well the person is experiencing a out-break on the surface of skin well rubbing both your skin lesion and the persons boils over each other. Interesting that women are more prone to HPV infection than men.

              • @doodo477: "Unlike some other viruses, HPV can live outside of the body for very short periods of time. This means that it’s possible for the virus to be contracted by touching anything that’s come into contact with the virus."

                "HPV can be transmitted even when warts or other symptoms aren’t present. But any type of wart can be contagious if touched."

                https://www.healthline.com/health/sexually-transmitted-disea…

                "Herpes (both oral & genital) can be spread even when there are no symptoms or sores. This is called asymptomatic shedding."

                http://www.ashasexualhealth.org/five-things-you-should-know-…

                Please stop giving bad advice that can cause serious health issues.

                • @c0balt: @c0balt

                  Please stop the scare tactics. Any interaction with a person without knowing their sexual history is all-ways going to be associated with a level of risk. Risk of catching HPV is small if you take the necessary protective measures.

                  Last time I checked, most people who are infected with HPV aren't even aware they have it. So saying that prostitution is the only exposure is folly. As going to a restaurant I should clean the cup and plates before eating because the person who cooked my meal may have touched the food exposing me to HPV.

                  • +2

                    @doodo477: The guy is living with a prostitute and having their clients use their bathroom and you are going to call it scare tactics to provide actual medical knowledge that contradicts your ridiculously blase attitude that will put people at risk?

                    Please stop playing doctor, you are putting people in harms way by providing false information, rather than giving them correct information (as I have supplied).

                    • -1

                      @c0balt: Your information is factually correct but your interpretation is not. You are scaremongering and I think you know it.

                      Googling for 'genital herpes statistics in Australia', first result from QLD gov website suggests that about 75% of the Australian population has HSV1 (one of the two herpes virus). I couldn't find similar stats for HPV, but wikipedia says for the United States, about 75-80% of people will be infected at some point in their lifetime. Let's assume similar stats for Australia unless someone can find something otherwise.

                      So statistically speaking, if you use a bathroom that someone else has recently used, there's about a 75% chance you've just shared a bathroom with someone who has a STD. If you are female and has ever stood in a line waiting for a bathroom, you are almost certainly putting your butt on a toilet seat that someone with a STD just sat on. This is not something that most people worry about.

                      Let's say hypothetically this person's housemate's prostitute friends bought 10 clients home a day and all 10 of them had herpes or HPV. That's 10 people with STD who may have used this person's bathroom or kitchen in a day. If this is something that really worried this person, better advice would be to avoid any public bathroom that is used by more than about 15 people a day, because those would (statistically speaking) also have been used by at least 10 people who have herpes or HPV. They should also avoid getting food from any large restaurants, because statistically speaking, there has probably been at least 10 people with herpes or HPV that have worked in that kitchen.

                      So while your facts are correct, they are cherry picked, and your interpretations like how having clients of prostitutes use your bathroom will "dramatically increase the chances of contracting a disease" is not. Even if you've just had 10 people with herpes use your bathroom, that's no worth than sitting on a public bathroom at a busy train station at peak hour… and most people are OK with the health risks of using public bathrooms in busy places.

                      • +7

                        @saintmagician0: This is insane.

                        People here are actually upvoting conjecture and downvoting medical knowledge because they don't believe the risks associated are worth making a fuss over. You guys are literally upvoting information that will put people at risk and downvoting the sourced medicinal information for what ever reason?

                        It's like you are offended about the truth? Then you put your subjective opinion in front of facts? What purpose does it serve, to spread misinformation and downvote the sourced medical knowledge?

                        It isn't about your subjective belief, the objective facts are that you are going to increase your chances of contracting a disease by increasing your exposure, and that HPV+herpes can be transmitted without having an active infection. This isn't something that can be argued - yet people here want to argue it? Why are you all being so precious about truth?

                        I literally sourced arguments from medicinal knowledge, and people are downvoting it in favor of people saying "oh, the odds aren't that bad" even though you know they are increased odds and that transmission of disease is much easier than you thought, especially if someone lives with a prostitute who does in calls!

                        Last I checked, public bathrooms don't have your own toothbrush sitting in it next to the sink, or a towel that you use to dry, or many other products that could come withing contact of a 'client' and a person who didn't want their towel used by a HPV carrier. We are talking about a guy who lives with a prostitute, not a public bathroom. For someone who thinks they are keeping things relevant, you sure didn't seem to realise there's a difference between a public bathroom designed around sanitation and a private bathroom.

                        And yes, if 10 prostitutes use your private bathroom your chances of contracting a disease goes up. If you are going to continue to say that they don't, then you are just being incredibly precious of people that have diseases. Surely you would have a basic understanding of statistics, that increasing your exposure increases your risks of contracting a disease, especially now that you are aware that HPV can be spread without symptom, without skin on skin contact and how the disease can live outside the human body for a period of time.

                      • @saintmagician0: I feel the rent I pay entitles me to facilities which are of higher standard than public bathrooms.

        • -1

          Free STDs?! Thanks so much.

  • +4

    Run.

  • -3

    rent out the room when you sleep with a prostitute

  • +3

    If you are both on the lease and he doesn't like you anymore, he's most likely looking at property rental websites as we speak.

    • The place we stay is one of them hidden gems that's cheap, but really high quality. Neither of us want to leave.

      • +3

        Well, then, gotta make sure yo pimp hand stron

      • +11

        Is this place near Homebush Olympic Park?

      • share with us this hidden gem? there has to be pros and cons. cant be thaaaat good

        • Hmmmm not really that many cons to be honest.

          I'd describe this deal as similar to getting a 4.5 to 5-star hotel for a 3-star price.

          • +2

            @catalina36: Should be easy as for the landlord to find a replacement then, you could just ask your landlord what his intentions are ie let her stay or move her on in the near future.

        • +12

          Definitely lots of pros, about 1-2 weeks worth

          • +2

            @SuperC: Probably a few cons visiting the pros too..

        • +1

          Opal Tower Sydney

    • +1

      Or hoping that OP moves out, with his new income source he can probably afford to rent the place himself. And he could use OPs room for another pro.

    • +63

      I think your main point in an nutshell would be "what you don't know can't hurt you". I don't that's true.

      Operating a brother out of the apartment is going to increase the security risks. The risk of something getting broken or stolen is higher if there's 100 non-residents coming in here (heh) compared to 0 right? Just because I didn't see them, doesn't mean that I don't bear the higher security risks.

      There's obvious health and hygiene implications e.g. did someone use my towel in the bathroom to wipe themselves off?

      And there's the potential awkward situation where my little cousin visits and bumps into a nice lady called Ms Ivanna Longwood in the kitchen. Do I tell him to say hi to the nice lady and shake her hand? Ask her how her day is?

      On your point about how I should get up and leave if it bothers me - Omg lol. If someone's getting assaulted at a bar do you tell the victim to leave or the perpetrator? I'm not the one doing illegal things here.

      • +7

        The risk of something getting broken or stolen is higher if there's 100 non-residents coming in here (heh) compared to 0 right?

        Very good.

        • +1

          I thought the 'Ms Ivanna Longwood' comment was the peak.

  • The reason is to avoid end up losing money on an empty room while finding a tenant to replace her.

    However, my lease ends in a month and I think if I did this, he would just not renew my lease.

    The place we stay is one of them hidden gems that's cheap, but really high quality. Neither of us want to leave.

    Doesn't look like he'll have any problem finding someone else. Or two someone elses.
    I'd be careful here, but at the same time is there any relevant laws that protect you from "unfair dismissal" for want of a better term?

  • +6

    Are you sure she wasn't the prostitute and now you've cut her income off?

    • +1

      I mean, if she can't invite clients who're guests back to the place… she's limited to only servicing clients who already live there. OP?

      • Plus Outcalls

      • No, she escorts them in when they're waiting outside the lobby.

      • +19

        invite clients who're guests back to the place…

        I see what you did there! :p

  • Isn't prostitution the oldest occupation in the world?

    • +10

      What did google say when you asked it?

    • +2

      Username does not check out.

    • +2

      Barney: What, you have some puritanical hang-up about prostitution? Dude, it's the world's oldest profession!

      Marshall: You really think that's true?

      Barney: Ohh, yeah. I bet even Cro-Magnons used to give cave hookers like, an extra fish for putting out.

      Marshall: Uh huh, so then the oldest profession would be fisherman. Kaboom! You've been lawyered.

      • LOL good analytical there

  • +14

    great first post troll

  • +67

    Did you message a pro and they gave you your adress? 😂😂😂

    • +10

      Username checks out…

    • +5

      hahaha this is actually one of the funniest comments I've read here!

    • LOL! Funniest comment of the year!

  • +7

    Give me her number and I will check to see if she is still working.

  • +19

    I could involve the authorities to make the landlord evict them immediately.

    No you can't. Just because the other tenant is in breach doesn't mean the landlord has to evict them, it just means the landlord has the option to do so.

    • The landlord doesn't have to or can't evict the other tenant but I disagree that she is in breach. The other tenant has every right to bring a "friend" home even if it was a different "friend" each time. In fact had she known better she doesn't have to stop what she was doing because she is not in breach of any tenancy laws technically.

      Although the landlord can't evict her but the landlord can choose not to renew the rental lease when it expires.

      • If the landlord doesn't renew the fixed term lease, can't the tenant reside on a periodic lease until she either leaves or gets evicted by the landlord given that 2month notice has been issued?

        • When the lease period expires there are 2 options. First is signing a new contract term and the latter is continue the lease until one side gives the required termination notice. The last time i rented or checked the landlord needs to give 3 months notice while the tenant only need to give 1 month. All that does not involve any eviction.

          • @DarkOz: It's usually two months for tenants and 1 month for the landlord

            • @Whisper Quiet: https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-property/rent…

              I am in NSW and it's the other way around. Tenancy laws are very heavily favouring tenants. It seems like landlords need to give 90 days notice and tenants only need to give 21 days.

              I heard that there is a newer law that allows the tenant to break a long term lease early as well.

              • @DarkOz: How about if we play it with apartment management? Most likely the apartment won't want to be associated with prostitution? Strata should be able to kick them up faster?

                • +1

                  @purplelady: In this case not even the strata can do anything to evict the tenant. Like I said she has the right to bring home a "friend" even if it is a new and different "friend" every hour/day. As long as she fetches her "friend" from the building entrance and thus does not pose a security risk.

                  The only thing the strata could do, if they have security/concierge, is to make it inconvenient for her by making her registering a new "friend" each and every time with identification.

                  • @DarkOz:

                    make it inconvenient for her by making her registering a new "friend" each and every time with identification.

                    Couple with the helpful suggestion of a security camera :-) …

              • @DarkOz: Yeah different states have different times. Seems stupid to have it change per state for no valid reason. Looks like amendments have been made on the tenancy acts extending the time in the last few years.

      • @Darkoz: Incorrect, there are many ways to skin a cat and if the landlord or other tenant fond out that she is using the bedroom as a brothel (find advertising that promotes her services, discussions with multiple punters - how much does she charge per hour, etc) then that is illegal and the Tribunal would probably evict for using the room for illegal purposes.

        The NSW Act states:
        (3) The termination order may specify that the order for possession takes effect immediately (so no 30/60/90 days notice).
        (4) A landlord may make an application under this section without giving the tenant a termination notice (don't even have to provide notice to the tenant about hearing).
        (5) The Tribunal may make a termination order under this section that takes effect before the end of the fixed term if the residential tenancy
        agreement is a fixed term agreement. (Warrant of possession could be effected immediately).

        For Op, can you offer to pay her share of the rent for 2 weeks and offer to provide that to the landlord to make him take action.
        Yeah it might be $150??? per week (so total $300???) but that might be acceptable to you if you really want her out fast.

        Strata is a different matter, so cannot comment on that.

      • No, she can't if she's being paid. That's not how the law works, or everyone who wants to be a prostitute and not have a license would be using it.

        Oh, this isn't a brothel. It's just a hotel where I rent rooms out to women on a nightly basis, and they have every right to bring back as many 'friends' as they want.

        If it's proven that these people are paying for sex (because the prostitute admitted to it, or because a client admitted to it, or because there's some other evidence), then that's illegal and she's in breach (assuming there is a clause in her tenancy contract about not using the premise for illegal activities). And even if she were not in breach, if there's reasonable evidence that these people are paying for sex, being an unregistered prostitute or pimp is not cool and the OP could just call the police.

        • She's in breach because she's renting out the room without landlord approval. If it can be proved she knew her sub-tenants were prostitutes (not just that they were, but that she knew they were), you have more of an argument, but proving subjective knowledge of anything is incredibly difficult.

      • +1

        The other tenant wasn't the prostitute. Re read.

        She was leasing out the room for a prostitute to bring in other clients.

  • +6

    "I don’t want to go into details about how I found out

    Did the loud moaning, screaming and bed banging the wall give it away?

    • +2

      Or the pile of used prophylactic and odd viscous liquid spots

      • +1

        It would be this.

      • +1

        This made me think of 'that' episode from Drawn Together. shudder

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