N.Y. Civil Rights Law § 18-b: Definitions

§ 18-b. Definitions. When used in this article:

1. The term "person" includes one or more individuals, partnerships,

associations, corporations, legal representatives, trustees, trustees in

bankruptcy and receivers or other fiduciaries.

2. The term "housing accommodation" includes any building, structure,

or portion thereof which is used or occupied or is intended, arranged or

designed to be used or occupied, as the home, residence or sleeping

place of one or more human beings, but shall not include any

accommodations operated by a religious or denominational organization as

part of its religious or denominational activities.

3. The term "publicly assisted housing accommodation" includes any

housing accommodation within the state of New York

(a) which, after July first, nineteen hundred fifty, is granted

exemption in whole or in part from taxes levied by the state or any of

its political subdivisions;

(b) which is constructed after July first, nineteen hundred fifty, on

land sold below cost by the state or any of its political subdivisions

or any agency thereof, pursuant to the federal housing act of nineteen

hundred forty-nine;

(c) which is constructed after July first, nineteen hundred fifty, in

whole or in part on property acquired or assembled by the state or any

of its political subdivisions or any agency thereof through the power of

condemnation or otherwise for the purpose of such construction;

(d) for the acquisition, construction, repair or maintenance of which

the state or any of its political subdivisions or any agency thereof

supplies, after July first, nineteen hundred fifty, funds or other

financial assistance;

(e) (1) which is located in a multiple dwelling; and (2) the

acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair or maintenance of

which is, after July first, nineteen hundred fifty-five, financed in

whole or in part by a loan, whether or not secured by a mortgage, the

repayment of which is guaranteed or insured by the federal government or

any agency thereof, or the state or any of its political subdivisions or

any agency thereof, provided that such a housing accommodation shall be

deemed to be publicly assisted only during the life of such loan and

such guaranty or insurance; or

(f) which is offered for sale by a person who owns or otherwise

controls the sale of ten or more housing accommodations located on land

that is contiguous (exclusive of public streets), if (1) the

acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair or maintenance of such

housing accommodations is, after July first, nineteen hundred

fifty-five, financed in whole or in part by a loan, whether or not

secured by a mortgage, the repayment of which is guaranteed or insured

by the federal government or any agency thereof, or the state or any of

its political subdivisions or any agency thereof, provided that such a

housing accommodation shall be deemed to be publicly assisted only

during the life of such loan and guaranty or insurance, or (2) a

commitment, issued by a government agency after July first, nineteen

hundred fifty-five, is outstanding that acquisition of such housing

accommodations may be financed in whole or in part by a loan, whether or

not secured by a mortgage, the repayment of which is guaranteed or

insured by the federal government or any agency thereof, or the state or

any of its political subdivisions or any agency thereof.

4. The term "owner" includes the lessee, sub-lessee, assignee,

managing agent, or other person having the right of ownership or

possession or the right to rent or lease housing accommodations and

includes the state and any of its political subdivisions and any agency

thereof.

5. The term "discriminate" includes to segregate or separate.

6. The term "multiple dwelling", as herein used, means a dwelling

which is occupied, as a rule, for permanent residence purposes and which

is either rented, leased, let or hired out, to be occupied as the

residence or home of three or more families living independently of each

other. A "multiple dwelling" shall not be deemed to include a hospital,

convent, monastery, asylum or public institution, or a fireproof

building used wholly for commercial purposes except for not more than

one janitor's apartment and not more than one penthouse occupied by not

more than two families. The term "family," as used herein, means either

a person occupying a dwelling and maintaining a household, with not more

than four boarders, roomers or lodgers, or two or more persons occupying

a dwelling, living together and maintaining a common household, with not

more than four boarders, roomers or lodgers. A "boarder," "roomer" or

"lodger" residing with a family means a person living within the

household who pays a consideration for such residence and does not

occupy such space within the household as an incident of employment

therein.