IT has emerged that some landlords in Dublin are offering young women free rent in exchange for sex.
Ruth Coppinger, a Solidarity TD claimed to the Dail that a woman in Rathmines in Dublin was offered free rent by her landlord "if we agree something".
She read out a WhatsApp conversation between the tenant and her landlord during the session and later posted photos of the exchange to her Twitter account.
"This is the rental sector in 2019 such is the power landlords have," she wrote.
The landlord had initially asked the woman if she was leaving the property, and once she confirmed that she was, it spiralled from there, when he asked her: "Are you coming to live with me in my house?"
She replied: "Is it for free (with a laughing-face emoji)"
"Free for money yes. But maybe something else????" The landlord responded.
Clearly taken aback, the woman answered by asking him if he was serious, to which he said "yes" and "You know I think you beautiful".
He then went a step further.
This is the rental sector in 2019 such is the power landlords have. Here are the original messages that I read from in the Dáil.#SexIsNotRent #dubw #metoo pic.twitter.com/zAIdmU6BW9
— Ruth Coppinger (@RuthCoppingerSP) September 18, 2019
"Or maybe u can stay there for 2 months and we go for dinner and see what happen."
When the woman rejected him, she was given another scenario.
"I make you better offer you can stay for free until Christmas if we can agree something."
After revealing this to the Dail, Coppinger called on the Government to deal with these landlords as she highlighted the need for statistics on such incidents to be collated.
She also claimed the Government had allowed this type of situation to occur where young women in very vulnerable situations "could be put under undue stress and pressure because the landlords rule in this Dail and you’ve done nothing about it".
Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy said the case outlined by Ms Coppinger "sounds disgusting and a horrible thing for someone to have to go through".
It's understood that the women from the case was able to move on and leave the property.
Meanwhile the Shelter organisation in England estimated that 250,000 women had been propositioned with free or reduced rent in exchange for sex.
