Don’t worry about the rent this month, a New York landlord told his tenants.

Surveys last month indicated that at least 40 percent of New York City’s tenants would be unable to pay the rent in April. Credit...Marian Carrasquero for The New York Times

New York City has millions of renters, and surveys conducted last month estimated that at least 40 percent them would not make the rent for April.

Landlords across the city have started to panic. But one of them, Mario Salerno, has told tenants at all 18 of his residential buildings in Brooklyn that they needn’t pay the rent this month.

“STAY SAFE, HELP YOUR NEIGHBORS & WASH YOUR HANDS!!!” Mr. Salerno wrote on signs that he posted at the buildings.

Mr. Salerno, a larger-than-life character in his part of Williamsburg, runs the Salerno Auto Body Shop and gasoline station, which his father opened in 1959. He said in an interview that he did not care about the lost income, which is likely to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

His only interest, he said, was in alleviating stress for his renters, even those who were still employed and working from home.

“My concern is everyone’s health,” said Mr. Salerno, 59, whose gesture was first reported by the local news site Greenpointers.com.

Reference: NY Times