Law to criminalise sex for rent a 'waste of time' if it does not address license agreements

The effort to legislate against sex for rent offers comes over two years after an investigation into the issue by the Irish Examiner, which has found sex for rent offers advertised online for locations in Cork, Limerick, Westmeath, Clare, and Dublin.

Legislation outlawing sex for rent will be a “waste of time” unless it tackles situations where rooms are being rented out under licence agreements instead of tenancies, according to the researcher of a new report.

The report on Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Harassment in the Rental Housing Market, is being launched on Thursday morning by the National Women’s Council.