What is a tester in the context of fair housing regulation?

• A. A person who evaluates property taxes
• B. A person who tests marketing strategies
• C. A tester is an individual who poses as a prospective purchaser or renter to test compliance
• D. A person who writes leases

Answer: (C)

In fair housing enforcement, a tester is someone who poses as a prospective buyer or renter to see whether a housing provider treats people differently based on protected characteristics. The idea is to create a controlled comparison—two applicants with the same qualifications except for a protected trait, or a tester who reports how they’re treated versus someone else—with the goal of identifying discriminatory practices in advertising, showing units, offering terms, or providing assistance. Testers gather objective evidence such as whether a unit is shown, what terms are quoted, or what information is provided, and this information can be used by HUD, fair housing organizations, or courts to enforce anti-discrimination laws. The other options describe activities unrelated to testing for compliance with fair housing laws.