COVID-19 VIC: Business, Individuals – Commercial Landlord Hardship Fund

This program aims to support eligible small landlords who may experience hardship as a result of reducing rent for their tenant(s) under the Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme, which was introduced to support commercial tenants whose income has been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Grants of up to $3,000 per tenancy are available.

Before applying to the Commercial Landlord Hardship Fund Round 2, landlords must complete the following process under the Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme:
- Step 1 – Receive a written request for rent relief made by a commercial tenant(s).
- Step 2 – Respond to the tenant(s) in writing within 14 days, or the agreed timeframe.
- Step 3 – Provide rent relief in proportion to their tenant’s downturn in turnover.
- Step 4 – At least 50% of the relief provided must in the form of a rent waiver.

A small landlord can only make one grant application per eligible tenancy under this program.

Additionally, a small landlord can make applications for each eligible tenancy under the Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme if their total taxable landholdings are under $3 million, excluding primary place of residence.

The grant will be allocated according to ownership share in the property if there are multiple property owners.

Eligible applicants must:
- Be a landlord with total taxable landholdings of less than $3 million, including part holdings but excluding principal place of residence, or where a property is held on trust, the total taxable landholdings of the trust must be less than $3 million.
- Be an owner and landlord of the property for which an application is made.
- Be the landlord of a property subject to a Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme eligible tenancy
- Be a landlord with a current lease agreement that provides rent relief to the tenant(s) between 1 January and 28 March 2021 under the Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme.
- Be an Australian citizen, resident or Australian incorporated entity.
- Attest that financial hardship has or will result from providing rent relief to the tenant(s).

Grants must be used by small landlords to offset rent reduction to their tenant(s) as agreed under the Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme.