A new report published by the Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) revealed that 1 in 20 international students in Ireland have been exposed to proposals of rent-free accommodation in exchange for sex.

By Lucy Warmington | Feb 25 2025

A new report published by the Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) revealed that 1 in 20 international students in Ireland have been exposed to proposals of rent-free accommodation in exchange for sex. 

The findings are detailed in the report titled ‘Renting in Ireland: The Housing Crisis from the Perspective of International Students’, and are the result of a survey with 512 participants of 64 different nationalities.

Further findings from the ICOS report revealed that 14% of respondents had been offered accommodation where they were expected to share a room, and sleep in the same bed, with a stranger. 10% of respondents stated they had been victims of accommodation scams whilst in Ireland, with only 14% of victims stating they had reported the incidents, and less than 25% of respondents stating they were aware of their rights as renters. 

The majority claimed to have seen these advertisements on social media platforms, just a small number being posted directly to housing websites.

Out of the 512 surveyed students, 21 provided information on where they encountered the ‘sex for rent’ advertisements. The majority claimed to have seen these advertisements on social media platforms, just a small number being posted directly to housing websites. The domain of social media is largely unregulated, leaving it open to becoming breeding grounds for such occurrences. A Facebook group called ‘RENT in Dublin, Roommates, Flatshares, Flatmates, Roomster’ has over 77,000 members. Offers and requests for accommodation are shared in the group multiple times per day, each post quickly gathering dozens of comments, and "steer clear” warnings are often left under posts coming from accounts users claim are “known scammers.” 

The National Women’s Council of Ireland argued in their ‘Report on Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Harassment in the Rental Housing Market’ in July, 2024 that “sex for rent” exploitation should be recognised as a form of gender-based violence, further calling for legislative actions to criminalise these practices in Ireland, and advocating a need for protections and support for victims.

The University Observer conducted a survey to ascertain the prevalence of encounters with accommodation scams amongst UCD student renters, with 35 students sharing their experiences. Out of the 35 respondents, 20 claimed to have encountered scams during their search for accommodation. 

Generally, responses showed frustration with the current rental market, and the limited availability of properties. Students repeatedly claimed that housing listings on property websites such as Daft.ie are often dead-ends, with either the listed property not existing, or the listed rental agent not existing. One international student shared their experience of their time on Daft.ie, “Getting a response at all is rare, getting a tour is almost impossible and there's almost nowhere for international students to live. The only consistent option is 5-7 roommate dorm apartments for about €1,300 a month. It seems like a significant amount of rental properties are not [actually] available to rent but are still listed anyway and finding anywhere to live as an international student who doesn't receive on campus accommodation is almost impossible.” 

Although no students explicitly reported having encountered offers of accommodation or relief from rent in exchange for sex or sexual acts, multiple students shared uncomfortable experiences they had during their search. 

One student said “I went to see a room viewing where I would be living with a man (as a woman) in the middle of nowhere outside of Swords, and as I was on my way to Swords I got an email from Daft.ie telling me this person was dangerous and scamming me. Still not sure why they wanted me to travel into the countryside (literally included a 30 minute walk with no buses.)”

Another student shared they had encountered “offers to share a bed with a stranger for 800 euro,” which they described as “shocking,” as well as “rooms where 7–10 people would live in one bedroom, [and] share one bathroom.” 

One student stated they had a landlord who was "a very aggressive man who entered the house whenever he pleased and even our bedrooms on occassion with no warning. He threatened with eviction on occasion also. The experience of living like this led to extremely poor mental health in my final year of college, which ideally was meant to be a positive fun time." 

“These situations exploit the vulnerability of international students, who are often searching in desperation for accommodation due to the severity of Dublin's housing crisis. The choice these students are  faced with is between unsafe housing and dropping out of college. No student should ever have to make this choice.”

In response to the release of the ICOS ‘Renting in Ireland’ survey, UCDSU Welfare Officer Ciara Donohue said in a statement to the University Observer, “The finding of these surveys is deeply concerning for everyone in the union. The exploitation of international students is horrifying and goes further than extortionate fees and inadequate support.”

“These situations exploit the vulnerability of international students, who are often searching in desperation for accommodation due to the severity of Dublin's housing crisis. The choice these students are  faced with is between unsafe housing and dropping out of college. No student should ever have to make this choice.”

“We stand in solidarity with the students who have shared their stories and will continue to advocate for stronger protections, better regulation of the accommodation market, and increased awareness for students about their rights. No one should have to endure exploitation in order to have a safe place to live and study.”