Brooklyn Landlord Waives Rent for Hundreds In Goodwill Gesture

israelnationalnews

According to a New York Times report, Brooklyn landlord Mario Salerno cancelled rent for approximately 300 tenants in his 18 apartment building complex in a gesture of goodwill following the spread of COVID-19 in the borough.

Salerno posted a notice outside one of the buildings reading:

“Due to the recent pandemic of coronavirus COVID-19 affecting all of us, please note I’m waiving rent for the month of April, 2020. Stay safe, help your neighbors & wash your hands, Mario.”

Mr. Salerno is expected to lose out on hundreds of thousands of dollars as a result of this bold act of kindness.

In the 1980s, Salerno bought up local parking lots where he stored damaged cars. Then, in the late 1990s, he had an apartment complex constructed on part of the area.

The pandemic has quickly spread through vast parts of New York State, forcing thousands to file for unemployment. Local area landlords have accumulated major financial losses, with reports of as many as 40% New York renters not being able to make their April payments.