The Dáil has heard that the rental crisis is leaving tenants vulnerable to sexual exploitation.

Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger told the chamber she was approached by a woman whose landlord offered her a "sex for rent" deal when she couldn't afford to remain in her home.

She called for new research to identify how many tenants have been put in similar situations - with figures showing that around 250,000 women in England have been propositioned by landlords.

"Sex for rent"

"So insane has the housing crisis become; so toothless have your laws on rent rises been and so much power have you left in the hands of landlords that we now have a situation where sex for rent is becoming a reality for a lot of tenants," she said.

She said a young woman renting at a "bedsit in all but name" in the Rathmines area had contacted her to say she was a victim of the practice.

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

She said that when she told the landlord she had to leave because the rent was too high, he offered to let her live with him for free if she offered him "something else."

He then told her he thought she was beautiful and offered to let her stay with him for half-price, if she went for dinner with him to "see what happens."

His final offer was to let her stay until Christmas, "if we can agree something."

"Landlords rule"

"I seriously think it is high time that we collated data in this country because you have allowed a situation where young women in very vulnerable situations - thankfully she was able to move on - could actually be put under undue stress and pressure," said Deputy Murphy.

"Because the landlords rule in this Dáil and you have done nothing about it."

Criminal matter

The Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy said he would examine the possibility of collating data to see how wide the problem may be.

"That sounds disgusting and a horrible thing for someone to have to go through," he said.

"It is absolutely a matter for the Gardaí and a criminal matter and I hope it has been addressed in that way.

"In relation to the wider point you make and research being done in the UK, I will of course talk to the Minister for Justice about what might be possible in relation to these types of situations that women may be finding themselves in - because it is reprehensible."

The latest rental report from Daft.ie found that rents rose by nearly 7% around the country in the first six months of this year.

It found that rents in Dublin are now an average of 40% higher than the previous peak at the end of 2007.