Under federal law, prospective tenants and homebuyers cannot be treated differently in their search for housing or denied housing on the basis of the following protected classes: race, color, sex, the presence of minor children (familial status), disability, national origin, and religion.
Testing is a means to study housing discrimination. Testing for housing discrimination involves individual testers posing as prospective home buyers or tenants, replicating the housing search process. Testers are paired and assigned profiles so that they are equally qualified to rent or purchase an apartment or home in question. They are similar in all respects except for one of the protected classes. Each tester performs a "mystery shop" of the housing provider. After the testers gather the information from the housing provider, they complete a testing analysis form, write a detailed narrative, and debrief with the testing coordinator. The test coordinator reviews the test analysis form and narrative from both testers to see if there are any differences in terms and conditions based on the protected class being tested.
If differences are offered to either tester which violates Federal, State or Local Fair Housing laws, a housing discrimination complaint would be filed with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Fair Housing tests can be preformed in rental, sales, lending and insurance markets.
