Concern has been raised over the growing number of ‘sex-for-rent’ advertisements appearing on online real estate listings as Perth’s housing crisis continues to worsen.
A report from The West Australian has highlighted the growing incidence of share house rentals that include sex as payment or par-payment for accommodation. One of the advertisements highlighted in the report explicitly targets young men.
The advertisement from a 45-year-old in Beckenham, in the city’s south-east, offered “cheap” rent for a young man under 20 in return for oral sex. The advertisements have been spotted on a range of online marketplaces.
Currently Perth is experiencing its biggest rental crisis in four decades, with hundreds of people applying for each vacancy. The shortage of affordable housing has also see the number of people experiencing homelessness surge.
Legal experts have warned that enticing a person into prostitution is a criminal offence, and property owners and lease holders could potentially face a jail sentence of two years.
In addition to the ads offering shelter in return for sexual payment, there has also been an increase in advertisements asking people to perform housework and childcare in return for accommodation.
Read the report at The West Australian.
OIP Staff
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