McEntee: Sex-for-rent practice not covered by legislation

Justice Minister Helen McEntee said landlords 'seeking to use their position to prey on vulnerable people is completely acceptable, cannot be tolerated and is an appalling abuse of power by people with unscrupulous morals'. Picture: Colin  Keegan/ Collins Dublin

The Justice Minister has told the Dáil there is no legislation currently in place to deal with the practice of landlords offering sex-for-rent arrangements.

The chairman of the Oireachtas committee on housing Steven Matthews raised the matter with Helen McEntee on Thursday morning in the Dáil, following an investigation by the Irish Examiner.

The investigation uncovered a number of properties across the country being offered for little or no rent in exchange for sex in December.

Since then, the committee has written to Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien regarding the issue, while individual members have also written to Ms McEntee.

Their two departments are now considering advice from the Attorney General Paul Gallagher, on the issue.

Ms McEntee told the Dáil on Thursday morning: “The fact of the matter is there is no law against this at the moment, unfortunately.” 

She said while there are figures available in relation to its prevalence in the UK, there is no data available relating to Ireland.

She added that in the UK, the practice falls under prostitution legislation.

But she said: “I think we need to be very careful of the laws that we use here, of the language that we use and how we refer to it, so that is the work we are doing with the Attorney General at the moment.” 

She added: 

It is not a criminal offence, I would like to see it as a criminal offence. It is appalling behaviour. It is the worst type of preying on victims and we need to make sure that we stamp it out.” 

She said the area has been identified as a “gap” in the amount of work gone into the Government’s housing plan and is something that needs to be addressed.

And she said: “We are trying to bring forward proposals as quickly as we possibly can.” 

She told the Dáil she could not imagine the level of distress that somebody must feel in such a situation where sex is required in return for accommodation.

“It is very upsetting to even think about it,” she said.

And she said landlords “seeking to use their position to prey on vulnerable people is completely acceptable, cannot be tolerated and is an appalling abuse of power by people with unscrupulous morals”. 

She stressed the Government was completely committed to preventing and addressing sexual abuse and gender-based violence in “all of its forms”.

She pointed to legislation introduced in recent years which makes it abundantly clear that consent “must be freely and voluntarily given”.

She added that a situation when a person feels forced or has no other choice “is not the same as consent”.

Mr Matthews told Ms McEntee that urgent action needed to be taken and described the existence of such practices as reprehensible.

“We are all aware of the cost of rental out there and aware of the pressures on people on rent and for someone to try to take advantage of that and try to exploit somebody — it is something we need to address,” he said.

One of the properties uncovered by the Irish Examiner was a house in Newcastle West, Limerick, which would be shared with the landlord. He advertised a room in his house for a single lady “with a twist”. 

The ad said: “Can do reduced rent for occasional fun.” 

When contacted by a prospective tenant, the landlord made it clear that sexual activity was required on a weekly basis in return for rent of €200 for the first month and €250 per month thereafter.