RTÉ Investigates explore landlords posting sex for rent advertisements across the country
TONIGHT ON RTÉ Investigates it will show how some landlords are seeking sex from often vulnerable prospective tenants in exchange for reduced rent or free accommodation.
Ireland’s homeless figures are at an all time high with those housed in emergency accommodation recently exceeding 12,000 people.
Over the last few months, an RTÉ Investigates researcher went undercover to meet landlords taking advantage of the housing crisis by putting up advertisements online insinuating they were looking for sex in exchange for accommodation.
To confirm that these offers are being made, RTÉ Investigates created a backstory that the researcher was a Brazilian student who had just arrived in Ireland eight months ago, she had just lost her job as an au pair, and she is sleeping on her friend’s couch in a crowded house in Dublin.
One of the first advertisements RTÉ Investigates replied to was from a man in his thirties in Munster.
His advertisement had a fake picture of a bedroom and no price listed.
Transcripts of the communications between the landlord and the researcher showed the following:
LANDLORD One: We could do something I suppose. Just all depends on what you're up for…
LANDLORD One: I wouldn’t mind a little bit of fun.
RESEARCHER: So, a bit of… you mean sex?
LANDLORD One: Ya.
Before she met this man, he sent very explicit messages including; “Will you be wearing something revealing?" and "I want to see how hot u are. Can you give me a ******* after in my car.”
At their meeting he also told her if she wanted they could book a hotel and see if she "wanted it".
She gave an excuse she needed to think about the arrangement to conclude the meeting.
Putting pressure on her, after their meeting the man text again to say; “I can put u up in a hotel maybe Wednesday night. Enjoy it yourself, I want to call then Thursday morning.”
He followed up again after their meeting; "Was there anything that could convince you some way or? When I said I like sex two or three times a week, like was that too much or?"
RTÉ Investigates answered two other advertisements which can be viewed in this evening's programme.
In Ireland, there is still no specific law to ban landlords from seeking sex for rent, although there is widespread agreement that something must be done.
Dr Clíona Saidléar, executive director of the Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) told RTÉ Investigates; “What you have right now is something of a perfect storm in terms of the vulnerability that has opened up around housing and around finding somewhere to rent and accommodation.There is a certain cohort of society where this has become a normalised or somewhat tolerated aspect of looking for a house and that’s utterly unacceptable.”
Kieran McGrath, a Psychiatric Social Worker said; "We need explicit legislation. A law governing it would send a very clear message, because people who convince themselves this is okay and it’s not illegal, that gives them a green light as far as they’re concerned."
In his opinion, in a sex for rent scenario where homelessness may be your only other choice, questions also arise in relation to the issue of consent.
Kieran siad; “There’s no equality at all. This is basically sexual exploitation where you give sex in return for some economic benefit, whether it might be rent, it could be drugs, it could be alcohol. That’s a well-established definition of sexual exploitation which is a form of sexual abuse. It’s that simple."
Watch RTÉ Investigates: Sex for Rent report tonight at 9.35pm on Prime Time, on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.