# Follow up on the harem question - rental wife

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/follow-up-on-the-harem-question-rental-wife/78511>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 28, 2001, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/follow-up-on-the-harem-question-rental-wife/78511 "2001-08-28T13:24:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Osakadave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f07891/32.png) [@Osakadave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osakadave)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/follow-up-on-the-harem-question-rental-wife/78511/1 "2001-08-28T13:24:06Z")

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I started thinking after the question about the legality of harems and recalled an institution I’ve head about here in Japan in the Meiji period - rental wives. Would it be legal to pay a woman to perform the functions usually associated with a housewife - cooking, house keeping and sex, without being married. (OR vice verca for a husband)

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**Author:** ![bryanmaguire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bryanmaguire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmaguire)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/follow-up-on-the-harem-question-rental-wife/78511/2 "2001-08-28T13:38:30Z")

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I think they’re called girlfriends.

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**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/follow-up-on-the-harem-question-rental-wife/78511/3 "2001-08-28T13:43:57Z")

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They’re called “cooks”, “housekeepers”, and “prostitutes”. So yes, it is legal, especially in Nevada.

And those are unisex designations, too, although I’ve never heard of male housekeepers.

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**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/follow-up-on-the-harem-question-rental-wife/78511/4 "2001-08-28T13:44:46Z")

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It’d be legal to pay for everything but the sex. That’d have to be on the house, so to speak. Sounds like a great deal, if you can make it work.