--- kind: "section" citation: "42 U.S.C. § 3603" title: "42" title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare" number: "3603" heading: "Effective dates of certain prohibitions" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/3603" units: - "Chapter 45 — Fair Housing" - "Subchapter I — Generally" --- # §3603. Effective dates of certain prohibitions - (a) **Application to certain described dwellings—** Subject to the provisions of [subsection (b)](#b) and [section 3607 of this title](/usc/42/3607.md), the prohibitions against discrimination in the sale or rental of housing set forth in [section 3604 of this title](/usc/42/3604.md) shall apply: - (1) Upon enactment of this subchapter, to— - (A) [dwellings](/usc/42/3602.md?p=b) owned or operated by the Federal Government; - (B) [dwellings](/usc/42/3602.md?p=b) provided in whole or in part with the aid of loans, advances, grants, or contributions made by the Federal Government, under agreements entered into after November 20, 1962, unless payment due thereon has been made in full prior to April 11, 1968; - (C) [dwellings](/usc/42/3602.md?p=b) provided in whole or in part by loans insured, guaranteed, or otherwise secured by the credit of the Federal Government, under agreements entered into after November 20, 1962, unless payment thereon has been made in full prior to April 11, 1968: Provided, That nothing contained in subparagraphs (B) and (C) of this subsection shall be applicable to [dwellings](/usc/42/3602.md?p=b) solely by virtue of the fact that they are subject to mortgages held by an FDIC or FSLIC institution; and - (D) [dwellings](/usc/42/3602.md?p=b) provided by the development or the redevelopment of real property purchased, rented, or otherwise obtained from a [State](/usc/42/3602.md?p=g) or local [public agency](/usc/42/11851.md?p=8) receiving Federal financial assistance for slum clearance or urban renewal with respect to such real property under loan or grant contracts entered into after November 20, 1962. - (2) After December 31, 1968, to all [dwellings](/usc/42/3602.md?p=b) covered by [paragraph (1)](#a-1) and to all other [dwellings](/usc/42/3602.md?p=b) except as exempted by [subsection (b)](#b). - (b) **Exemptions—** Nothing in [section 3604 of this title](/usc/42/3604.md) (other than [subsection (c)](#c)) shall apply to— - (1) any single-[family](/usc/42/3602.md?p=c) house sold or rented by an [owner](/usc/42/13641.md?p=4): Provided, That such private individual [owner](/usc/42/13641.md?p=4) does not own more than three such single-[family](/usc/42/3602.md?p=c) houses at any one time: Provided further, That in the case of the sale of any such single-[family](/usc/42/3602.md?p=c) house by a private individual [owner](/usc/42/13641.md?p=4) not residing in such house at the time of such sale or who was not the most recent resident of such house prior to such sale, the exemption granted by this subsection shall apply only with respect to one such sale within any twenty-four month period: Provided further, That such bona fide private individual [owner](/usc/42/13641.md?p=4) does not own any interest in, nor is there owned or reserved on his behalf, under any express or voluntary agreement, title to or any right to all or a portion of the proceeds from the sale or rental of, more than three such single-[family](/usc/42/3602.md?p=c) houses at any one time: Provided further, That after December 31, 1969, the sale or rental of any such single-[family](/usc/42/3602.md?p=c) house shall be excepted from the application of this subchapter only if such house is sold or rented (A) 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](/usc/42/3602.md?p=d) in the business of selling or renting [dwellings](/usc/42/3602.md?p=b), or of any employee or agent of any such broker, agent, salesman, or [person](/usc/42/3602.md?p=d) and (B) without the publication, posting or mailing, after notice, of any advertisement or written notice in [violation](/usc/42/2000e–16a.md?p=c) of [section 3604(c) of this title](/usc/42/3604.md?p=c); but nothing in this proviso shall prohibit the use of attorneys, escrow agents, abstractors, title companies, and other such professional assistance as necessary to perfect or transfer the title, or - (2) rooms or units in [dwellings](/usc/42/3602.md?p=b) containing living quarters occupied or intended to be occupied by no more than four [families](/usc/42/3602.md?p=c) living independently of each other, if the [owner](/usc/42/13641.md?p=4) actually maintains and occupies one of such living quarters as his residence. - (c) **Business of selling or renting dwellings defined—** For the purposes of [subsection (b)](#b), a [person](/usc/42/3602.md?p=d) shall be deemed to be in the business of selling or renting [dwellings](/usc/42/3602.md?p=b) if— - (1) he has, within the preceding twelve months, participated as principal in three or more transactions involving the sale or rental of any [dwelling](/usc/42/3602.md?p=b) or any interest therein, or - (2) he has, within the preceding twelve 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](/usc/42/3602.md?p=b) or any interest therein, or - (3) he is the [owner](/usc/42/13641.md?p=4) of any [dwelling](/usc/42/3602.md?p=b) designed or intended for occupancy by, or occupied by, five or more [families](/usc/42/3602.md?p=c). ## Source credit (Pub. L. 90–284, title VIII, § 803, Apr. 11, 1968, 82 Stat. 82.)