Do landlords discriminate in the rental housing market? Evidence from an internet field experiment in US cities

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Urban Economics
Year: 2011
Volume: 70
Issue: 2-3
Pages: 99-114

Score contribution per author:

2.011 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

This paper tests for racial discrimination in the rental housing market using matched-pair audits conducted via e-mail for rental units advertised on-line. We reveal home-seekers' race to landlords by sending e-mails from names with a high likelihood of association with either whites or African Americans. Generally, discrimination occurs against African American names; however, when the content of the e-mail messages insinuates home-seekers with high social class, discrimination is non-existent. Racial discrimination is more severe in neighborhoods that are near "tipping points" in racial composition, and for units that are part of a larger building.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:juecon:v:70:y:2011:i:2-3:p:99-114
Journal Field
Urban
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25