Man Posted Screenshots Of How He Was Turned Down By A Landlord For Being A 'Foreigner'
"My heart sinks when landlords ask this question because I already know I’m not getting the place then."
Most of us thought that racial and ethnic discrimination would not be an issue in the 21st century. But it is 2020, and we are still discussing this problem that should have been eradicated by now.
Unfortunately, it is still present in every area of life, even in the housing market. The Fair Housing Act, which was introduced back in 1958, was created to limit discrimination among tenants, landlords, and housing in the U.S.
Still, more than 50 years later, the same issues persist. Several surveys conducted in the last decade indicate that racial and ethnic minorities still receive worse treatment than white individuals when searching for a home.
Furthermore, studies show that real estate agents and rental housing providers present fewer available housing options to minorities compared to similarly qualified white individuals. As noted by Dr. Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist, "Discrimination in housing is a reflection of deeper societal biases that continue to affect how individuals interact with one another." This highlights the ongoing challenges faced by minorities in securing housing.
A Twitter user named Abbas Ali posted screenshots of a chat he had with a landlord who had a room for rent
abbas96aliThe post contains two screenshots of the exchange this man had with the landlord and the caption: "My heart sinks when landlords ask this question because I already know I’m not getting the place then."
In the beginning, it all seemed normal.
abbas96aliThe man started by introducing himself as a prospective tenant. The landlord responded and asked Abbas when he would like to see the room.
And then:
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The landlord indicated the time that worked for him and then began to ask questions. One of them was, "Where are you from?"
The ethnicity of the tenant seems to be important to the landlord.
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The man answered all the questions except the one about his ethnicity, so the landlord asked again, "Where are you from?"
When he heard the man was from Pakistan, the landlord unexpectedly remembered that the room was rented.
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Apparently, the room got rented while they were chatting…
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Twitter users were very sad and angry…
Some pointed out that the Fair Housing Act made such actions illegal.
This story is taking place in Dubai, and the regulations there are evidently different.
Some internet users shared their own experiences:
