How some are dealing with rent squeeze

When COVID-19 struck Canada, many of William Blake’s tenants lost their jobs and sources of income, so he offered them a lifeline.

The landlord, who personally oversees 22 properties in the General Toronto Area but also rents out homes in Alberta and B.C. and student housing in the Maritimes, shaved 25 per cent off April, May and June rent for his hardest-hit tenants. They have until Sept. 1 to pay the deferred amounts he laid out in an addendum to their leases.

“Why I did that is because they’re great tenants and I have a good relationship with them,” Blake said.

“I don’t want to lose them, so if I have to take one little step back, it’ll be two steps forward a few months from now.”

The solution is one he is hoping more landlords will consider as they grapple with how to help out tenants, but still pay their bills.

Some landlord-tenant relations have gone sour during the pandemic and turned into battles involving eviction threats and tears.

Some provincial governments are offering rent supplements, which Will Gladman, of the Vancouver Tenants Union, recommends applying for, though he cautioned that they are “a drop in the ocean.”

B.C., for example, is giving $300 per month to eligible households with no dependents and $500 per month for those with dependents.

In Toronto, the Federation of Metro Tenants Associations conducted a similar survey of 630 tenants over two one-week periods in June.

It found 21 per cent of landlords have threatened evictions for those not paying rent, 54 per cent are not working with tenants who can’t cover rent and 65 per cent are upping rent fees during the pandemic.

The lack of leeway has pushed some Ontarians to refuse to pay rent altogether.

“If it’s a choice between buying groceries and paying your rent and you know that the eviction process is slow and deferred and you know that starvation process proceeds pretty quickly, buying groceries is a rational choice,” said Kenn Hale, the director of advocacy and legal at the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario.

While he’s pressing for government action, he said landlords and tenants striking agreements amongst themselves is an option.

Aside from an agreement, Gladman suggests people in a tight spot reach out to grassroots organizations or tenant advocacy centres, which have experienced staff who can walk people through their rights and what abatement options governments and banks may offer.