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.