Three Toronto renters affected by COVID-19 ‘surprised’ to get relief from landlord

The COVID-19 outbreak has student Madison Cleary worried she won’t be able to pay her $770 a month rent for the Bloordale Village apartment she shares.

When the virus hit, Cleary, 26, a part-time student in her final year of paralegal studies at George Brown College, lost hours at her two part-time jobs — including one at a skateboard shop — that help pay her rent while in school, jobs that earned her about $340 a week.

Another roommate in the unit held a job in a café, but it closed amid COVID-19, so she is unable to work too.

The two and their third roommate affected by the fallout from the virus got together to talk about what to do about paying the rent at the end of this month.

They decided to ask their landlord, Islington Village Corp., the owner of several private buildings across the city, for a deferral. To their astonishment a representative for the company was understanding and is giving them a break for the time being.