Compassionate Landlords Are Out There—Here’s Heartwarming Proof

In her 40 years as a firefighter in California, Lisa Maronne witnessed landlords showing up after house fires—and sometimes even during them—to help out their tenants. Those memories have stuck with Maronne, motivating her to “do the right thing” for her own tenants now that she’s a landlord with three single-family properties in San Luis Obispo County.

When the coronavirus began disrupting daily life in March, causing economic anxiety among renters who faced reduced hours at work or had their jobs cut entirely, Maronne made a swift decision: She waived April rent for her tenants with no expectations of being repaid. She’s on track to do the same thing next month, noting that her tenants have been exemplary with on-time rent payments in the past.

“I am blessed to be able to do that, and I have a saying, ‘Everything I have, I got from giving,’” says Maronne, a former battalion chief. “Right now I have a peaceful heart knowing I gave them a break.”

As renters worry about how they’ll pay their bills amid the pandemic—and cities and states enact moratoriums on evictions—tales of compassionate landlords waiving or drastically reducing rent altogether are popping up across North America. While not all landlords have ample wiggle room in their budgets, those who are able to tell their tenants that “rent is on the house this month” are effectively leading by example.

In Toronto, one landlord told his tenants they wouldn’t have to worry about rent in the foreseeable future and “even if you are capable of paying rent, hold on to the money for your own good. We do not know what’s to come.” He also offered to purchase groceries, medicine, or other essentials for any tenants struggling financially. 

New York City landlord Mario Salerno informed the tenants in his 18 apartment buildings he was waiving April rent, with a notice that read: “Stay safe, help your neighbors & wash your hands!!!” 

In Royal Oak, Michigan, a semi-retired engineer dropped April rent to $1 for the small businesses renting out his three downtown storefronts, according to the Royal Oak Tribune.

And in Henderson, Tennessee, landlord Jason Cabler cut his tenant’s rent in half this month because she works in a restaurant that transitioned to only serving takeout. Since then, the restaurant has shut down completely and Cabler says he won’t be charging her rent next month.  He explains this is partly because he paid for his property in cash.

“Since I have no mortgage, I can afford to be much more generous than the average landlord,” Cabler says.

Kim Julen, who rents on the island of Maui, says a week before rent was due in April, her landlord stopped by with a card and bouquet of flowers tucked into a roll of toilet paper.

“She often drops flowers off and leaves them on my lanai so this was not unusual,” Julen says. “However, what was surprising, and brought tears of joy to my eyes, was what she wrote in the card. She said, ‘What a crazy world! For the next 3 months, your rent is reduced by $300. We’ll see where our crazy world is after that. Much love!’”

Julen says the notice came as a huge relief, as her income as a solopreneur has dropped since the pandemic began.

In San Diego, Jeff Larabee, who owns a family-run real estate business, waived three months of rent for the 18 tenants who rent office spaces in a commercial building he purchased last summer. Larabee, who has worked eight years in the building, says it was a dream to finally buy it. The structure is an old doctor’s office with former exam rooms converted into small business suites—they’re rented out by licensed counselors, estheticians, chiropractors, and others. 

During normal times, the building is a beehive of activity. But when Larabee started hearing from his tenants that business was dropping off, he came up with a solution. He proposed to his bank that his loan on the building be deferred for a few months, essentially tacking three extra months on to the end of his loan. The bank agreed, and Larabee subsequently made individual calls to all 18 tenants, letting them know they didn’t have to pay their rent for the next few months. With each call, he says he could hear anxiety turn to relief.

Larabee likened himself to a middle man, though, providing a link between the bank and his tenants,who provide important services, like mental health counseling. 

“I feel like I’m just one piece in this story,” he says. One piece, he hopes, that can inspire other landlords in similar positions across the country.