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Study Finds Widespread Name-Based Bias in Germany's Rental Market

The Berlin presentation details a field experiment showing lower response rates for applicants with Middle Eastern or African names.

Overview

  • Germany's integration and migration research center released a multi-method study showing that applicants with foreign-sounding names receive fewer replies and viewing invitations.
  • Researchers sent identical applications to real listings while varying only the names, isolating name effects on landlord responses.
  • Survey and official data underpin the results, with the research team stating that unequal treatment in housing is not a marginal phenomenon.
  • The Nadira monitor reports that more than one in three Muslim and Black people have experienced such bias, with people with migration backgrounds more often reporting cramped living conditions or higher rents.
  • Federal Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Ferda Ataman called for increased support for those affected, with no immediate policy changes reported.