COVID-19 National: Business, Non-Profits, Individuals – Relief for Commercial Tenants

This program aims to help renters by providing a range of measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes a temporary hold on evictions and a mandatory code of conduct for commercial tenancies to support small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) affected by coronavirus.

Evictions will be put on hold over the next six months for commercial and residential tenants in financial distress, who are unable to meet their commitments due to the impact of the coronavirus.

A mandatory code of conduct outlines a set of good faith leasing principles for commercial tenancies (including retail, office and industrial) between owners/operators/other landlords and tenants.

This code applies to tenants that are:
- A small to medium sized business with an annual turnover of up to $50 million.
- Eligible for the JobKeeper Payment.

The code includes a common set of 14 principles. These include:
- Landlords must not terminate leases for non-payment of rent during the COVID-19 pandemic (or reasonable recovery period).
- Tenants must stay committed to their lease terms (subject to amendments).
- Landlords must offer reductions in rent (as waivers or deferrals) based on the tenant’s reduction in trade during COVID-19.
- Benefits that owners get for their properties (e.g. reduced charges, land tax, deferred loan payments) should be passed on to the tenant (in the appropriate proportion).

Rent reductions will be based on the tenant’s decline in turnover to ensure that the burden is shared between landlords and tenants.

The Government is also waiving rents for all its small and medium enterprises and not-for-profit tenants within its owned and leased property across Australia.

These measures will be implemented by the renters' State or Territory Government.

Please visit the website for more information.