N.Y. Real Property Law § 446-a: Definitions

§ 446-a. Definitions. As used in this article, unless the context

otherwise requires: 1. "Person" means any natural person, corporation,

limited liability company, partnership, firm, or association.

2. "Apartment information vendor" means any person who engages in the

business of claiming, demanding, charging, receiving, collecting, or

contracting for the collection of, a fee from a customer for furnishing

information concerning the location and availability of real property,

including apartment housing, which may be leased, rented, shared or

sublet as a private dwelling, abode, or place of residence. The

definition of apartment information vendor shall include an apartment

sharing agent which means any person who, for a fee, arranges, conducts,

coordinates, handles or causes meetings between a customer and the

current owner or occupant of legally occupied real property, including

apartment housing, who wishes to share that housing with one or more

individuals as a private dwelling, abode or place of residence, but it

shall not apply to any person who for another and for a fee, commission

or other valuable consideration, supervises, organizes, arranges,

coordinates, handles or is otherwise in charge of or responsible for the

relocation of commercial or residential tenants from buildings or

structures that are to be demolished, rehabilitated, remodeled or

otherwise structurally altered.

3. "Advance fee" means any fee claimed, demanded, charged, received or

collected from a customer before the customer has leased or rented a

private dwelling, abode or place of residence through the information

provided by an apartment information vendor.