Sex for rent issue referred to the Attorney General

It follows an investigation by the 'Irish Examiner' last month which highlighted properties on the rental market which are being offered at reduced rent or rent-free in exchange for sex

Attorney General to examine if sex for rent advertisements are covered by existing legislation.

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien has asked the Attorney General for advice on whether sex for rent advertisements are covered by existing legislation.

The move follows an investigation by the Irish Examiner last month which highlighted that properties on the rental market are being offered at reduced rent or rent-free in exchange for sex.

A spokesman for the Department of Housing said Mr O’Brien had written to the Attorney General, Paul Gallagher, seeking advice on whether the practice is covered by the Sexual Offences Act 2017. 

The spokesman said the minister is also in contact with Minister for Justice Helen McEntee on the issue.

He said the Attorney General’s office had acknowledged Mr O’Brien’s correspondence and that advice is now being awaited from Mr Gallagher.

One of the properties unearthed by the Irish Examiner is a house in Newcastlewest, Co 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'. 

Sexual activity in return for rent

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.

When asked if the room was available without sexual favours, he said it was preferable to rent it out to someone willing to engage in sexual activity. 

He also promised the accommodation would be free if the prospective tenant became his partner in the future.

The issue is expected to be raised at the Oireachtas Committee on housing, local government and heritage in the coming weeks.

Sinn Féin’s housing spokesman Eoin O’Broin has also written to Mr O’Brien and Ms McEntee asking them to examine the possibility of introducing legislation to outlaw the “obscene practice” of sex for rent advertisements.

He said: “My strong view is that both the person offering accommodation on this basis and the platform advertising the accommodation offer should both be prohibited from doing this. 

"I am asking that you both ask the relevant personnel in your departments to examine this issue early in the new year with a view to bringing forward the necessary legislation to outlaw such activity.” 

If you were to do this I believe you would have the broad support of the opposition.

The issue was highlighted during a debate in the British House of Lords on the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in November.

Amendments to the bill have been brought forward, seeking to make it a criminal offence for landlords arranging ‘sex for rent’ agreements with tenants.

Recent research by UK housing and homeless charity Shelter suggested that 30,000 women in the UK were propositioned with sex for rent arrangements between March 2020 and January 2021.

There has been no survey of the area carried out in Ireland.