Sex For Rent exploitation must be made a specific crime

Press release, 18 May 2026 It is high time that sex for rent exploitation is criminalised, according to the Civil Society Coalition on Addressing “Sex for Rent” Exploitation and Protecting Renters, which includes organisations representing women, students, migrants and renters. In addition, the Coalition is calling for practical measures to end the exploitative practice. The Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill reaches Third Stage in the Oireachtas tomorrow, 19 May. Corrinne Hasson, Executive Director of the National Women’s Council (NWC) and member of the Coalition, said: “The ongoing housing crisis continues to make unhoused women more vulnerable to sexual violence and exploitation. Women fleeing domestic violence, women on low incomes, homeless women, as well as women simply trying to put a roof over their head in the rental market are all subject to the risk of encountering an offer of Sex for Rent exploitation. It is a real threat to marginalised women all over the country, and the more vulnerable you are the greater the threat it is. It’s very welcome that this Bill proposes making the offer of accommodation in exchange for sex a crime, as it mainly affects vulnerable renters and women. However, this legislation must be accompanied by practical steps to make it enforceable and ensure its effectiveness, including a performance review.” The Civil Society Coalition on Addressing “Sex for Rent” Exploitation and Protecting Renters includes the Irish Council for International Students, Rape Crisis Ireland, the National Women’s Council, Ruhama, Threshold, and Akidwa. Its members provide supports to victims and people at higher risk of this type of sexual exploitation and/or conduct research or collect data on sex for rent. In line with recommendations made by the Joint Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, practical steps include access to legal advice and trauma-informed services for survivors; dedicated training for An Garda Síochána; protections for all renters, especially licensees renting a room; and penalties for the platforms who host ads for sex for rent exploitation. The coalition believes responsibility for implementing these measures should be clearly assigned to Cuan (the statutory Domestic Sexual and Gender Based Violence agency) and Coimisiún na Meán in line with their respective remits. Brian Hearne, Policy and Communications Manager at the Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) and member of the Coalition, said: “Students and migrant women are particularly vulnerable to Sex for Rent exploitation because of the serious difficulties they face in accessing safe and affordable accommodation. International students who have recently arrived in Ireland are unfamiliar with their rights, under pressure to secure housing quickly, and often depend on informal or insecure rental arrangements, leaving them vulnerable to being exploited. For too long, vulnerable renters, including low-income women, migrants and international students, have been exposed to coercion, abuse and harm from unscrupulous predators without adequate safeguards or recourse. Ahead of the next academic year, there is an urgent need to ensure that students and all women at risk are protected from this kind of exploitation. This Bill sends an important and timely message that such exploitation has no place in Irish society.” Ends/  For comment: Corrinne Hasson, Brian Hearne Find here the Civil Society Coalition for the Implementation of Sex for Rent Legislation’s full statement: For more information, please contact Sinéad Nolan, NWC Senior Communications Coordinator, sineadn@nwci.ie Notes:   About the Civil Society Coalition for the Implementation of Sex for Rent Legislation: The coalition of civil society organisations advocating for the prohibition of “sex for rent” exploitation, representing women, students, migrants and renters. It includes the Irish Council for International Students, Rape Crisis Ireland, National Women’s Council, Ruhama, Threshold, Akidwa. About NWC The National Women’s Council is the leading national representative organisation for women and women’s groups in Ireland, founded in 1973. We have over 190 member groups and a large and growing community of individual supporters. The ambition of the National Women’s Council is an Ireland where every woman enjoys true equality and no woman is left behind. This ambition shapes and informs our work, and, with our living values, how we work. We are a movement-building organisation rooted in our membership, working on the whole island of Ireland. We are also part of the international movement to protect and advance women’s and girls’ rights. Our purpose is to lead action for the achievement of women’s and girls’ equality through mobilising, influencing, and building solidarity. Find out more on www.nwci.ie

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