A Toronto man says he was turned away from viewing a unit in the city because of the colour of his skin.
TikTok user Oki (@datsokii) took to social media to share what he deems a completely racist encounter that left him speechless.
“Racism has never ended. If anyone has ever told you that all that stuff is in the past, show them this video,” he said in a video uploaded on Monday.
Oki explains that he called a potential landlord to inquire about a unit as he’s thinking about moving out.
At one point in the short conversation the line dropped, or so he thought.
“I text her and say, ‘Did the line cut? Or did you just hang up?’” he said.
In response, the landlord wrote, “Sorry, I didn’t realize that you are a Black guy.”
And after Oki asked if there was a rule against people who look like him, they confirmed that Black people were not allowed, and wrote other racially charged remarks.
“This is clearly how difficult it is to even find or even rent a space here in Toronto. Racism is a thing, clearly. But this is the stuff we go through as Black people,” Oki said.
Now Toronto reached out to Oki for a comment but he declined.
Some users were quick to comment on their similar experience.
“Took me six months to find my place in Toronto despite having great credit. Once another real estate agent told me to go live with my people at Jane and Finch. I lived in Ajax at the time,” one person shared.
“And I am meant to believe that Black people in Canada are not experiencing racism?” someone else asked.
“Please contact a lawyer and take her to court. She will be paying your rent soon,” another person added.
HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER WEIGHS IN
Mississauga human rights lawyer Alex Battick told Now Toronto that Ontario’s Human Rights Code prohibits discrimination based on race in five social areas including employment and housing.
He also believes that Oki meets the threshold to sue since he experienced “differential treatment” when being denied an opportunity to rent in a protected social area like housing based on his “protected characteristic(s).”
“Given the flagrant comments by the landlord, he may want to consider a human rights application to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal,” Battick said in an email statement on Wednesday.
“He may also want to consider connecting with the Black Legal Action Centre for further legal support.”
