Malta, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 84 (eCode360 ed. 2026) § 84-6
Exceptions
Operative Text
A. Exception for single-family houses and owner-occupied dwellings. (1) Nothing in § 84-3 . (other than Subsection C) shall apply to: (a) Any single-family house sold or rented by an owner; provided that such private individual owner does not own more than three such single-family houses at any one time; provided, further, that in the case of the sale of any such single-family house by a private individual owner not residing in such house at the time of such sale, or who was not the recent resident of such house prior to such sale, the exception granted by this subsection shall apply only with the respect to one such sale within any twenty-four-month period; provided, further, that such bona fide private individual owner does not own any interest in nor is there owned or reserved on his behalf under any express or voluntary agreement title to any right to all or a portion of the proceeds from the sale or rental of more than three such single-family houses at one time; provided, further, that the sale or rental of any such single-family house shall be excepted from the application of this article only if such house is sold or rented without the use in any manner of the sales or rental facilities or the sales or rental services of any real estate broker, agent, or salesman, or of such facilities or services of any person in the business of selling or renting dwellings, or of any employee or agent of any such broker, agent, salesman, or person, and without the publication, posting, or mailing, after notice, of any advertisement or written notice in violation of Article III of this article; but nothing in this proviso shall prohibit the use of attorneys, escrow agents, abstractors, title companies and other such professional assistance as may be necessary to perfect or transfer the title; or (b) Rooms or units in dwellings containing living quarters occupied or intended to be occupied by no more than four families living independently of each other, if the owner actually maintains and occupies one of such living quarters as his residence. (2) For the purpose of this exemption, a person shall be deemed to be in the business of selling or renting dwellings if: (a) He has, within the preceding 12 months, participated as principal in three or more transactions involving the sale or rental of any dwelling or any interest therein; or (b) He has, within the preceding 12 months, participated as agent, other than in the sale of his own personal residence, in providing sales or rental facilities or sales or rental services in two or more transactions involving the sale or rental of any dwelling or any interest therein; or (c) He is the owner of any dwelling designed or intended for occupancy by, or occupied by, five or more families. B. Exception for nonprofit and membership organizations. Nothing in this article shall prohibit a religious organization, association, or society, or any nonprofit institution or organization operated, supervised, or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious organization, association, or society, from limiting the sale, rental, or occupancy of dwellings which it owns or operates for other than a commercial purpose to persons of the same religion, or from giving preference to such persons, unless membership in such religion is restricted on account of race, color, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin or sexual orientation; nor shall anything in this article prohibit a private club not in fact open to the public, which as an incident to its primary purpose or purposes provides lodgings which it owns or operates for other than a commercial purpose, from limiting the rental of occupancy of such lodgings to its members or from giving preference to its members.
Malta, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 84 § 84-6 carves out specific categories of housing transactions from the fair-housing obligations set out in § 84-3. Individual owners of no more than three single-family homes, owner-occupants of small multi-family buildings with up to four units, qualifying religious organizations, and certain private membership clubs may operate outside those general requirements under defined conditions. The exceptions are narrow and come with their own internal limits—such as caps on the number of properties owned, restrictions on using real estate brokers, and prohibitions on discriminatory membership criteria based on race, color, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, or sexual orientation.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners who believe they may qualify for an exemption under § 84-6 should carefully review each condition attached to that exemption, because the protections of § 84-3 remain in force if any condition is not met. For example, a single-family homeowner relying on the individual-owner exception generally avoids using real estate brokers or agents in the transaction and stays within the three-property ownership limit. Religious organizations and private clubs that invoke the nonprofit or membership exemption under § 84-6(B) typically ensure that any membership restrictions do not turn on race, color, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, or sexual orientation.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tenants and prospective renters should be aware that § 84-6 does not create a blanket exemption from Malta's fair-housing rules—each exception has specific qualifying conditions, and a landlord who fails to meet those conditions remains bound by § 84-3. If a housing provider claims an exemption that appears not to apply, that claim can be raised as a potential violation with local or state fair-housing authorities, or explored with a tenant-rights organization familiar with New York fair-housing law. Consulting a tenant-rights group or legal aid office can help clarify whether a particular landlord's situation actually satisfies the narrow criteria spelled out in § 84-6.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 9, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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