‘Free rent’ ads masking demands for sexual favours
Advocates say B.C. housing crunch fuelling ‘appalling’ new classifieds
The advertisement appeared in the rooms and shares section of an online classified website and offered “free rent for the right girl.”
“I’m an attractive mid 30s white male, clean, groomed, fit. Let’s drink tonight and see if we can make this work.”
The ad wasn’t the only one of its kind.
“Rent negotiable or open to alternate payment ideas.”
“Free rent for a female that is willing to play the roll (sic) of a wife.”
The Vancouver men posting these ads don’t always say it outright, but their intent is clear: sexual favours instead of rent.
The ads have become common over the past year or so as Vancouver’s housing prices have skyrocketed, leaving more people in search of rental accommodations.
Rentals have become expensive and scarce, and people are looking for roommates to offset the cost. The ads have also appeared on classified sites in other cities with hot housing markets, such as San Francisco, New York and Auckland, N.Z.
The fact that the ads have left the personals section of sites such as Craigslist and are appearing alongside legitimate appeals for roommates adds to the concern.
“It’s taking advantage of the fact that this is a terrible market in which to find reasonably priced living space — it’s very low vacancy rates and very high rents,” said Janine Benedet, a professor at the University of B.C.’s Peter A. Allard School of Law.
Benedet classified the ads as soliciting prostitution and said that under current law, offering to provide accommodation in exchange for sex is illegal.
Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter spokeswoman Hilla Kerner called the ads “appalling.” She said there are plenty of methods men use to prey on women’s economic vulnerability, whether it’s offering to be their “sugar daddy” and pay for their post-secondary tuition or offering accommodation in exchange for sexual favours.
“It’s absolutely prostitution,” Kerner said. “Women are being asked to provide sexual services in exchange for some kind of monetary or monetary-equal reward. Some women might accept it because they don’t have other choices.
“The men are completely protected, they’re anonymous. They’re completely safe to groom and solicit and exploit women.”
While most people see the underlying message in the ads, Const. Brian Montague, spokesman for the Vancouver Police Department, said that the ads technically aren’t illegal because of the way they are worded.
The men most often couch their intention by saying they are looking for “a companion,” a roommate to share their bed or “a part-time assistant” to do massages.
“We can all imply what they mean, but obviously police can’t arrest people based on assumptions,” Montague said.
It’s absolutely prostitution. ... (The men are) completely safe to groom and solicit and exploit women.