West Virginia Code § 16B-18-4

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(a) The prohibitions against discrimination in the sale or rental of housing set forth in
§16B-18-5 of this code shall apply to all dwellings except as hereinafter exempted. Nothing
in section five of this article, other than subsection (b) of this section, shall apply to the
rental of a room or rooms in a rooming house occupied by the owner as a place of residence
and containing no more than four rented rooms or rooms to be rented. Soleley for the
purposes of familial status, nothing in section five shall apply to:
(1) Any single-family house sold or rented by an owner: Provided, That such private
individual owner does not own more than three such single-famiuly houses at any one time:
Provided, however, That in the case of the sale of any such single-family house by a private
individual owner not residing in such house at the time of sutch 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 24 month period: Provided further,
That such bona fide private individual owner does not own any interest in, nor is there
owned or reserved on his or her behalf under any express or voluntary agreement, title to or
any right to all or a portion of the proceeds frosm the sale or rental of more than three such
single-family houses at any one time: And provided further, That the sale or rental of any
such single-family house shall be excepted from the application of this article only if such
house is sold or rented: g
(A) Without the use in any manener 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 oLf selling or renting dwellings, or of any employee or agent of any
such broker, agent, salesman or person; and
(B) Without the publication, posting or mailing, after notice, of any advertisement or written
notice in violation of subsection (c), §16B-18-5 of this code; but nothing in this proviso shall
prohibit the use of attorneys, escrow agents, abstractors, title companies and other such
proWfessional assistance as necessary to perfect or transfer the title; or
(2) 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.
(b) For the purposes of subsection (a) of this section, a person shall be deemed to be in the
business of selling or renting dwellings if:
(1) The person 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;
(2) The person has within the preceding 12 months participated as agent, other than in the
sale of his or her 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
(3) The person is the owner of any dwelling designed or intended for occupancy by or
occupied by five or more families.

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