Malinter is a Royal Guard who's job is to patrol the everfree, so he practically lives there for months at a time and wears the bare minimium of armour as the whole set would weigh him down in there.
He sets up a camping spot, perferably on a ledge so predators can't eat him in the night. He then spends most of his time gathering resources and recording any changes in the ecology of the Everfree he observes.
He'd get into scraps with Timberwolves or Cragodiles if he wasn't too careful so he usually coats his fur in plant-made dyes to hide his sent and break his already earthy colours even more to sneak about. Smells awful but he's used to it and washes it out every few days.
He does have some downtime though, he knows the location of some very nice springs where one can drink and bathe (even the mirror pool but he's spooked from seeing his reflection waving back at him), He also visits Zecora from time to time for herbology and alchemist training and to deliver some supplies to her inbetween her own trips to ponyville.
Mal has no house in ponyville as he is technically stationed in the Canterlot Barracks.