Sickening Gumtree listing slammed after offering ‘free rent in exchange for sex’ – find out the appalling details here
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With the ongoing rent crisis in Australia, people are having difficulty finding a safe place to call home.
And in a shocking and disturbing example of the appalling depths of the rental crisis, a Gumtree advertisement emerged, offering free rent in exchange for a disturbing price – highlighting how people could take advantage of the ongoing housing crisis.
The advertisement for a rental property in Gumtree has been removed after it offered free housing in exchange for sex.
The property listing in Claremont, northwest of Hobart, was advertised on the online marketplace for $245 per week. It also claimed to be pet, kid, and ‘marijuana’-friendly. However, it was only available for rent to a female tenant.
In case any future tenant would be interested, the $245 per week rate could be waived in exchange for sexual favours.
The listing also said the property would suit an ‘escort’ or a ‘single parent with one child’. Additionally, the person who made the listing included a caveat that the woman had to be ‘clean and disease free’.
‘Please, no time wasters. Serious enquiries only,’ it read.
In return, the tenant will have their own room, locked door, and private parking and storage.
Gumtree quickly removed the post as it broke their community guidelines.
According to the online marketplace’s community guidelines, Gumtree does not allow ads that include ‘illegal activity’, and it prohibits ‘any activity that could cause harm’.
‘Harm’ in this regard includes physical or psychological harm, or any illegal activity.
‘If you believe you have identified potentially illegal activity on our site, report it to us immediately,’ the guidelines read.
A spokesperson for Tasmania Police released a statement: ‘In terms of legality or otherwise, the Sex Industry Act 2005 has specific offences in relation to 'soliciting.’
However, they added that each individual case needs to be assessed to determine whether any offences have been committed.
A spokesperson for Gumtree told reporters that in the event that Gumtree detects indecent or illegal ads such as this or if it is reported by the community, the website would take action on the ad and, if necessary, on the user’s account.
‘In the event where it is necessary to involve the police, we do have a police liaison to handle the matter.’
Naturally, the advertisement was slammed by the Tenants’ Union of Tasmania online, who then urged the government to take action to end the rental crisis.
‘Earlier this week, we heard reports of a shed without bathroom or kitchen being offered for rent for $175 a week and thought this was bad, then we received this: A room in a share house in Claremont offered on Gumtree to females for sex,’ they captioned.
‘This is a gross exploitation of vulnerable women who are affected by the housing crisis. Governments at all levels need to pull every lever to end this crisis,’ the union added.
According to them, the government must be building more homes faster, introducing an ‘empty homes levy’ regulating short-stay accommodations, and more.
‘No woman, having sex in exchange for a roof over her head, is freely and happily consenting to it.’
The union also mentioned that the Australian Bureau of Statistics released data that revealed rents across Tasmania have increased by 45 per cent over the last 4.5 years.
‘The highest increase in the country is in the State with the lowest incomes,’ they said.
This comes after a new report from Anglicare Australia revealed that, out of more than 45,000 properties across Australia, less than one per cent were deemed ‘affordable’.
Moreover, only four properties nationwide were said to be reasonably priced for someone on JobSeeker or the age or disability support pensions. You can read more about this story here.
This abhorrent advertisement is a frightening example of how vulnerable people can be to exploitation. If you have tales of rental horror stories in your local community, please share them with us in the comments below.
And in a shocking and disturbing example of the appalling depths of the rental crisis, a Gumtree advertisement emerged, offering free rent in exchange for a disturbing price – highlighting how people could take advantage of the ongoing housing crisis.
The advertisement for a rental property in Gumtree has been removed after it offered free housing in exchange for sex.
The property listing in Claremont, northwest of Hobart, was advertised on the online marketplace for $245 per week. It also claimed to be pet, kid, and ‘marijuana’-friendly. However, it was only available for rent to a female tenant.
In case any future tenant would be interested, the $245 per week rate could be waived in exchange for sexual favours.
The home for rent was quickly removed from the online marketplace. Credit: Kindel Media/Pexels
The listing also said the property would suit an ‘escort’ or a ‘single parent with one child’. Additionally, the person who made the listing included a caveat that the woman had to be ‘clean and disease free’.
‘Please, no time wasters. Serious enquiries only,’ it read.
In return, the tenant will have their own room, locked door, and private parking and storage.
Gumtree quickly removed the post as it broke their community guidelines.
According to the online marketplace’s community guidelines, Gumtree does not allow ads that include ‘illegal activity’, and it prohibits ‘any activity that could cause harm’.
A photo of the listing was uploaded on Facebook. Credit: The Tenants’ Union of Tasmania/Facebook
‘Harm’ in this regard includes physical or psychological harm, or any illegal activity.
‘If you believe you have identified potentially illegal activity on our site, report it to us immediately,’ the guidelines read.
A spokesperson for Tasmania Police released a statement: ‘In terms of legality or otherwise, the Sex Industry Act 2005 has specific offences in relation to 'soliciting.’
However, they added that each individual case needs to be assessed to determine whether any offences have been committed.
A spokesperson for Gumtree told reporters that in the event that Gumtree detects indecent or illegal ads such as this or if it is reported by the community, the website would take action on the ad and, if necessary, on the user’s account.
‘In the event where it is necessary to involve the police, we do have a police liaison to handle the matter.’
Naturally, the advertisement was slammed by the Tenants’ Union of Tasmania online, who then urged the government to take action to end the rental crisis.
‘Earlier this week, we heard reports of a shed without bathroom or kitchen being offered for rent for $175 a week and thought this was bad, then we received this: A room in a share house in Claremont offered on Gumtree to females for sex,’ they captioned.
‘This is a gross exploitation of vulnerable women who are affected by the housing crisis. Governments at all levels need to pull every lever to end this crisis,’ the union added.
According to them, the government must be building more homes faster, introducing an ‘empty homes levy’ regulating short-stay accommodations, and more.
‘No woman, having sex in exchange for a roof over her head, is freely and happily consenting to it.’
The union also mentioned that the Australian Bureau of Statistics released data that revealed rents across Tasmania have increased by 45 per cent over the last 4.5 years.
‘The highest increase in the country is in the State with the lowest incomes,’ they said.
This comes after a new report from Anglicare Australia revealed that, out of more than 45,000 properties across Australia, less than one per cent were deemed ‘affordable’.
Moreover, only four properties nationwide were said to be reasonably priced for someone on JobSeeker or the age or disability support pensions. You can read more about this story here.
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