New York Mills, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 86 (eCode360 ed. 2026) § 86-6
Exemptions
Operative Text
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 within the Village of New York Mills 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 or national origin. 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 within the Village of New York Mills 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.
New York Mills, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 86 § 86-6 carves out two narrow exemptions from the village's fair housing rules. First, religious organizations may give preference to members of their own faith when renting or selling dwellings they own for non-commercial purposes, provided that membership in the religion is not itself restricted by race, color, or national origin. Second, private clubs that are genuinely not open to the public may limit occupancy of lodgings they own for non-commercial purposes to their own members.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators who believe they qualify under ch. 86 § 86-6 — such as a religious organization or a bona fide private club — generally document that the housing in question is owned and used for non-commercial purposes and that any membership criteria do not exclude people on the basis of race, color, or national origin. Maintaining clear records of the organization's nonprofit or religious status and its membership policies helps demonstrate that the exemption is being applied consistently and within its stated limits. Operators outside these two specific categories remain fully subject to all other provisions of chapter 86.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
If you believe a landlord is improperly claiming the religious-organization or private-club exemption under ch. 86 § 86-6 to deny you housing, you have several general paths available. You may file a complaint with the village or consult a tenant-rights organization to assess whether the exemption's conditions — such as the non-commercial-purpose requirement or the prohibition on race-, color-, or national-origin-based membership restrictions — are actually met. Raising the inapplicability of the exemption as part of a fair housing complaint is one avenue that affected individuals commonly pursue.
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
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.