Local councils are sharply divided over plans to regulate sex work from home, with some concerned that the proposed new rules will do little to improve conditions for sex workers or people living nearby.

NOS conducted a survey of 150 local authorities that revealed widely differing views over whether they wanted to permit sex work under licence at all, or what they expected the impact on the community to be.

The government wants to regulate the sector to reflect the increase in home-based and online sex work. Workers would have to attend an interview to satisfy their local council that they are over 21, working independently and not under duress.

The plans have been shelved since the last cabinet fell in July and no date has been set for the law to be brought before parliament.

Some councils have banned sex work from home outright, while others have attached strict conditions, such as Enschede, where sex workers are not allowed to work in flats or near schools, and Lingewaard, which excludes rental properties.

Others recognise the trend towards sex work moving off the streets, but query whether licensing will lead to better safety. Tilburg currently allows sex work from home but imposes strict guidelines, including a ban on advertising in the neighbourhood.

The council argues licensing will not solve the problem of illegal prostitution. “Sex workers without a licence will be even vulnerable to pressure, violence and blackmail,” it told NOS.

Hilversum, which also already permits home working, agreed. “It is an illusion that sex workers who are dealing with abuses will apply for a licence,” the council responded.

Other councils were concerned about the implications of sex work taking place behind closed doors. “If sex work takes place in private, it is difficult to be aware of potential abuses,” said the Zuid-Holland council of Kaag en Brassem.

There were also worries about the impact on neighbourhoods, with Moerdijk arguing it would lead to traffic congestion, street disturbances and “people in the area feeling less safe”.

Leeuwarden said even under licensed conditions, the system was at risk of being exploited by criminals. “A pimp can rent houses and install sex workers in them without conflicting with the law, the guidelines or the local master plan,” the council said.