International students in Ireland are facing disturbing “sex-for-rent” offers while searching for accommodation, with the issue reportedly worsening. Ireland’s housing crisis, combined with soaring rents averaging €2,500 per month in Dublin, leaves many vulnerable to exploitation. featured on sky news
Ana Paula Viana, a Brazilian student who moved to Dublin in 2022, shared her unsettling experience. After responding to a Facebook ad for a bedroom, the advertiser suggested she could stay rent-free if she shared his bed a few nights a week. “I was shocked but felt desperate to find housing,” she said, urging the government to act swiftly.
Similarly, Darling Duran from Bolivia encountered an advertiser who suggested she could live rent-free by sharing his bed while he worked nights. Despite her refusing his offer, he repeatedly asked her on dates.
The Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) reports a troubling rise in these propositions, with one in 20 students experiencing such offers. Executive director Laura Harmon has called for urgent legal action to make sex-for-rent a specific criminal offense.
Although past legislative efforts stalled, the new Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, confirmed work is underway to criminalize these practices. Until stronger protections are in place, many fear the exploitation will persist.