Groton, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 93 (eCode360 ed. 2026) § 93-6
Exemptions
Operative Text
A. Sales/rentals by owners. (1) The provisions of § 93-3 of this chapter, with the exception of § 93-3C , shall not apply to the following: (a) The sale or rental of a single-family house by its owner, provided that such owner is not in the business of renting or selling dwellings as defined below. This exemption shall not apply and an owner shall be subject to the terms and provisions of this chapter if such private individual owner owns more than three such single-family houses at any one time or if there is 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 the time of such sale. Further, with respect to the sale or sales of non-owner-occupied single-family residences, this exemption shall apply to only one such sale within any twenty-four-month period; provided, further, that the sale or rental of any such single-family house shall be exempted from the application of this chapter 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 § 93-3C of this chapter. Nothing contained herein shall prohibit the use or employment of attorneys, escrow agents, abstractors, title companies, surveyors and other such professional assistance as may be necessary to perfect or transfer the title. (b) The rental of 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; (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. Sales/rentals by religious organizations. Nothing in this chapter 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, national origin, familial status or handicap, nor shall anything in this chapter 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 or occupancy of such lodgings to its members or from giving preference to its members.
Section 93-6 of Groton's Code of Ordinances carves out specific situations where the fair-housing requirements of § 93-3 do not apply. Key exemptions cover individual owners selling or renting a single-family home without a broker—so long as they own no more than three such homes and meet other conditions—as well as owner-occupied buildings with four or fewer units. Religious organizations and private clubs that provide lodgings for non-commercial purposes may also limit occupancy to members of their group, provided membership itself is not restricted by race, color, sex, national origin, familial status, or handicap.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 93-6, a private owner may qualify for an exemption from most of § 93-3's requirements when selling or renting a single-family home without a broker, but only if they own three or fewer such homes and do not otherwise meet the definition of being 'in the business' of selling or renting dwellings. Owners of buildings with four or fewer units who live in one of those units may also qualify for the rental exemption. Compliant operators typically track how many single-family properties they hold and how many broker-free transactions they complete within any rolling 12- or 24-month window to confirm they remain within the exemption's boundaries.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 93-6 defines the narrow circumstances under which a landlord or seller may be exempt from Groton's fair-housing rules under § 93-3. If a landlord uses a real estate broker, owns more than three single-family homes, or owns a building designed for five or more families, the exemption generally does not apply and the full protections of the chapter remain in effect. Tenants who believe an exemption is being claimed improperly can raise that issue as a defense in a housing proceeding, file a complaint with a local or state fair-housing agency, or consult a tenant-rights organization for guidance.
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 10, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
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Rules and statutes that cite this regulation