TORONTO – Toys “R” Us Canada is facing another lawsuit from a landlord that says it terminated the retailer’s lease after it failed to pay rent.
RioCan Holdings Inc. says in a new court filing that the toy store chain didn’t pay rent last month for a space it occupied at the Lawrence Allen Centre in Toronto.
After allegedly warning Toys “R” Us Canada that it would end its leases if it didn’t make a payment, RioCan says in court filing that it followed through with its threat on Jan. 20. The claims have not been tested in court.
The commercial real estate company is asking a court to force Toys “R” Us Canada to pay RioCan about $4 million. That includes the missed January rent payment of roughly $43,000, plus millions in other obligations outlined in the toy store’s lease.
Toys “R” Us Canada and lawyers and spokespeople representing RioCan Holdings did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Lawrence Allen Centre website no longer lists the retailer a tenant.
The Canadian Press reported last month that Toys “R” Us has been closing dozens of its stores and has been sued at least seven times in the last year by landlords who say they’re collectively owed $31.3 million in unpaid rent and other damages. Those claims have not been tested in court.
Toys “R” Us Canada has not filed a statement of defence in all the cases. Where it has responded, the company has largely denied the allegations of its suppliers and taken issue with the amount of money being demanded.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2025.
