A woman in Waterford city moved out of accommodation after she was offered to rent for free in exchange for sex.
The Irish Examiner reports that the woman said the man, who claimed to be a landlord, showed up at her workplace the following day.
The incident occurred after she responded to an ad for a room in Waterford city last October.
The report says she was asked to pay €55 for a single room, along with a €200 deposit. It then transpired that the man was a tenant, subletting the room, having led his landlord to believe that he was moving his girlfriend in. The woman said he told her he didn't want her long term boyfriend in the house.
When she learned that sex was part of the arrangement and that rent would not be charged, she moved out. She was told the €55 and €200 were for bills. The woman told The Irish Examiner that after making several attempts to contact her by phone, the man turned up at her place of work.
She's one of a number of women who have spoken to the newspaper about being approached regarding reduced rent with the expectation that bed sharing or sex would be part of the arrangement.
Four international students in Limerick City reported a situation where a would-be-landlord contacted them about rent, only to then discover they were expected to share a bed with said landlord.
Last week, the Justice Minister Helen McEntee said her Department are seeking advice on the issue, which has become more prevalent in recent months.
The most recent report by Daft showed the average rent in Waterford City for the last period of 2021 was €1,191, up 11.3% on the previous year. More here.
