Middletown, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 296 § 296-8

A. No person or agent acting on behalf of another shall: (1) Refuse to sell, rent or lease any housing accommodation or any facilities of any housing accommodation or land in the City of Middletown, New York, to any person or group of persons or refuse to negotiate for the sale, rental or lease of any housing accommodation or land to any person or group of persons by reason of race, creed, color, sex, disability or national origin of such person or persons or represent that any housing accommodation or land is not available for inspection, sale, rental or lease when in fact it is so available or otherwise deny or withhold any housing accommodation or any facilities of any housing accommodation or land from any person or group of persons because of the race, creed, color, sex, disability or national origin of such person or persons. (2) Discriminate against any person because of his race, creed, color, sex, disability or national origin in the terms, conditions or privileges of the sale, rental or lease of any housing accommodation or in the furnishing of facilities or service in connection therewith. (3) Print or circulate or cause to be printed or circulated any statement, advertisement or publication, or use any form or application for the purchase, rental or lease of any housing accommodation or land, or make any record or inquiry in connection with the prospective purchase, rental or lease of any housing accommodation or land, which expresses, directly or indirectly, any limitation, specification or discrimination as to race, creed, color, sex, disability or national origin or any intent to make any such limitation, specification or discrimination. (4) Utilize any criminal background report in violation of Section 1 or 2 of Part IIIA of the 2016 Office of General Counsel Guidance on Application of Fair Housing Act Standards to the Use of Criminal Records by Providers of Housing and Real Estate-Related Transactions, commonly known as the "2016 HUD Guidance." The City shall provide property owners who are applying for rental permits with a copy of these sections, or any amended version thereof, in the application materials. B. No real estate broker, real estate salesperson or employee or agent thereof or any other individual, corporation, partnership or organization, for the purpose of inducing a real estate transaction from which any such person or any of its stockholders or members may benefit financially, shall: (1) Engage in the practice of steering or channeling a prospective home or property purchaser into or away from an area because of race, creed, color, sex, disability or national origin, whether on his own initiative or in response to the purchaser's initiative, or either directly or indirectly discourage the prospective buyer from purchasing a home in a particular area because of race, creed, color, sex, disability or national origin. (2) Represent that a change has occurred or will or may occur in the composition, with respect to race, creed, color, sex, disability or national origin, of the owners or occupants in the block, neighborhood or area in which the real property is located and represent, directly or indirectly, that this change will or may result in undesirable consequences in the block, neighborhood or area in which the real property is located, including but not limited to the lowering of property values, an increase in criminal or antisocial behavior or a decline in the quality of schools or other facilities. C. No person, bank, trust company, private banker, savings bank, industrial bank, savings and loan association, credit union, investment company, mortgage company, insurance company or other financial institution or lender doing business in the City of Middletown, New York (and if incorporated, regardless of whether incorporated under the laws of the State of New York, the United States or any other jurisdiction), or any officer, agent or employee thereof to whom application is made for financial assistance for the purchase, acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair or maintenance of any housing accommodation or land in the City of Middletown, New York, shall: (1) Discriminate against any such applicant or applicants because of the race, creed, color, sex, disability or national origin of such applicant or applicants, nor of any member, stockholder, director, officer or employee of such applicant or applicants, nor of the prospective occupants or tenants of such housing accommodations or land, in the granting, withholding, extending or renewing or in the fixing of the rates, terms or conditions of any such financial assistance. (2) Use any form or application for such financial assistance or make any record of inquiry in connection with applications for such financial assistance which expresses, directly or indirectly, any limitation, specification or discrimination because of race, creed, color, sex, disability or national origin. D. No person shall aid, abet, incite, compel or coerce the doing of any of the acts forbidden under this article or attempt to do so. E. No person engaged in any activity to which this article applies shall retaliate or discriminate against any person because such person has opposed any practices forbidden under this article or because such person has filed a complaint or testified or assisted in any proceeding under this article.