A rental inquiry with an Arabic male name received fewer replies
The estimated response probability was 16% with an Arabic male name and 42% with a Finnish female name, across 800 listings in Finland.
The key idea
Inequality in renting can begin with the first response, before anyone sees the home.
The study, in plain language
The team sent identical inquiries to rental listings on a Finnish platform and randomly assigned the sender’s name. Six names signaled gender and origin: Arabic, Finnish, and Swedish names for women and men. Because nothing else changed, researchers could compare who received an initial response.
With the Arabic male name, 16% received a reply, compared with 42% for the Finnish female name. Positive responses, such as an invitation to talk or view the home, were also less common: 12% versus 34%. The landlord’s gender did not detectably change the pattern. There are limits: six names, one platform, and some old listings. The study measured the first response, not whether anyone secured a rental.
What they found
- Inquiries with an Arabic male name received fewer replies than those with other profiles.
- They also received fewer positive replies, such as invitations to talk or view the home.
- The landlord’s gender did not detectably change the pattern.
How they studied it
Researchers randomly assigned six names signaling Arabic, Finnish, and Swedish origin, for women and men, to equivalent inquiries written in Finnish. They sent 1,459 inquiries to 800 listings and distinguished between any response and a positive response.
What the study cannot show
- Six names were used on one platform, and some listings were old. The study does not record each landlord’s reasons or who ultimately rented the property.
Something to think about
When thinking about equality in renting, do you look only at who signs a lease, or also at who gets a reply to the first message? Counting only contracts can miss a barrier that appears earlier.
The original study
Ethnic and gender discrimination in the private rental housing market in Finland: A field experiment
Source under CC BY 4.0. English adaptation and explanation by PaperFlow, with AI assistance. The text has been reorganized for a general audience; it is not the complete paper and does not imply endorsement by its authors.
One study alone does not represent a field's consensus. Educational content does not replace professional advice. Report a possible error.
