Is Hiding My First Name Enough? Using Behavioural Interventions to Mitigate Racial and Gender Discrimination in the Rental Housing Market

This study investigates whether behavioural interventions can reduce racial and gender discrimination in the rental housing market. Our correspondence tests include two behavioural interventions based on the taste-based discrimination theory and the statistical discrimination theory. Specifically, we provided employment information to help letting agents to overcome statistical discrimination and included anti-discrimination messages to nudge letting agents to adhere to the “Equality, Diversity and Inclusion” social norm. Empirical evidence from London shows that behavioural interventions worked. Both employment information and anti-discrimination messages changed the racial and gender gap in response rate significantly. However, anti-discrimination messages helped Polish and Nigeran renters by increasing their chance of getting a response from letting agents, but hurts Chinese applicants greatly. Also, the employment information intervention widened the gender gap. Racial and gender discrimination in housing markets is a complex issue and the landscape is constantly changing. Hiding one’s first name is far from enough to solve the problem. We conclude by calling for more empirical studies from housing markets in other parts of the world