Same sex couple discrimination: A field experiment in the Portuguese housing market

Abstract: Discriminatory behavior on the basis of sexual orientation challenges the economic problem, as it causes inequal access to the job and housing markets. In this study, I measure and analyze discriminatory behavior against same sex couples through a field experiment in the Portuguese housing rental market. This is the first attempt at conducting a correspondence field experiment testing for discriminatory behavior for this minority group in Portugal, and one of the first studies to capture same sex couple discrimination in the housing market. In this experiment, four type of applicants varying in gender (male and female) and modality (same and opposite sex) contact both individuals and real estate companies for renting an apartment in the metropolitan areas of Porto and Lisbon. The study establishes a baseline level of discriminatory behavior that this minority group is exposed to, by presenting the applicants as desirable and conservative. I conclude that male same sex couples face significant levels of discrimination not faced by the other couple types. The results for female same sex couples are not statistically significant but show a sizable downwards coefficient. Additionally, male same sex couples appear to face higher discrimination in civil parishes where the population is older on average.