Ireland’s political party with the most seats in Parliament proposes a new amendment to make it an offense for landlords to seek sex-for-rent arrangements as one in twenty international students find themselves subjected to such offers amidst a growing housing crisis in Ireland.
On Wednesday, Sinn Féin Member of Parliament Eoin Ó Broin brought forward a bill to the Dáil, the lower house of Parliament in Ireland, that would amend the existing Residential Tenancies Act of 2004 to include sanctions for landlords seeking sex in exchange for rental accommodation.
The amendment would make publishing adverts for sex-for-rent as well as offering or accepting such arrangements illegal. Broin suggested that the existing Residential Tenancies Act could be used to make this practice an offense, with tenants reporting adverts under this act and thus having them dealt with in a non-judicial manner.
The proposed bill comes amidst a context of housing shortage and increased homelessness in the country, creating a desperate environment that normalizes offering rooms in exchange for sex.
Mr. Broin referred to and expressed his support for a similar bill brought forward by Social Democrat Cian O’Callaghan in 2021 that failed to pass the committee stage due to a lack of government support. The bill would have added sanctions of up to 50,000 euros (55,000 dollars), whereas the current amendment will not introduce new penalties — offenses will be dealt with under existing penalties of up to 20,000 euros (22,000 dollars).
An escalating housing crisis in Ireland
Housing remains the primary concern for people in Ireland. In the Spring 2023 Eurobarometer poll, 61% of Irish respondents said that it was their number one concern, in comparison to just 10% of people across Europe. Data from the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland also shows that between 2010 and 2022, rents in Ireland have been up by 82%, compared to an EU average of 18%.
A homelessness and national housing charity in Ireland, the Peter McVerry Trust, reported that homeless figures are currently at an all-time high, with 13,531 people staying in emergency accommodation as of January 2024. This is the first time that numbers have surpassed 13,000.
The Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) conducted a report on the impact of the housing crisis on students revealing that, out of the 819 participants from 73 countries, 13% have been victims of accommodation scams, and 55% agreed that their mental health had suffered due to the housing crisis.
The executive director of ICOS, Laura Harmon, highlighted the severity of the situation: “The housing crisis is jeopardizing Ireland’s excellent reputation as a study destination and risks undermining the fantastic work being done in colleges across the country.”
The unaffordability of student housing and exhausting commuting hours of up to six hours create a sense of desperation and vulnerability in young students, facilitating what Ms. Harmon refers to as the “predatory behavior” of landlords engaging students in this “form of sexual exploitation” who might otherwise have to drop out from their studies. Notably, 5% of respondents have encountered offers or advertisements for rooms in exchange for sex.
The report by ICOS presented recommendations for “affordable, purpose-built student accommodation” as well as campaigns and strategies to inform the student population of housing opportunities.
A case of gender-based violence
The executive director of Rape Crisis Network Ireland, Dr Clíona Saidléar, referred to the practice as a clear form of sexual exploitation that is being normalized due to the housing shortage. She emphasized the urgency of “explicit legislation” to protect the most vulnerable. By making advertisements of sex-for-rent illegal as well as the practice itself, Mr. Broin indicated that the proposed bill will also act effectively as a “preventative measure.”
Eoin Ó Broin also referred to Irish Examiner journalist Anne Murphy’s report in 2021 which exposed the scandal of sex-to-rent as a pervasive issue, claiming it was an “entire underbelly of [the] rental sector.” Although no official figures have been published, she highlighted the need to address the problem as it was a “small but not insignificant number.”
The practice of sex-for-rent does not occur solely in Ireland. Research conducted by housing charity Shelter in the United Kingdom reveals the wider context of sexual exploitation, reporting that 30,000 women were proposed sex instead of paying rent in the period between March 2020 and January 2021.
Landlords in Ireland and the UK are fueling gender-based violence that targets the most vulnerable: young women, international students, and migrant workers, offering a solution to the housing crisis by advertising “coerced sex in exchange for desperate people to put a roof over their heads.”