SME Commercial Leasing Principles
National Cabinet Mandatory Code of Conduct - SME Commercial Leasing Principles
On Tuesday 7 April the Prime Minister released the National Cabinet Mandatory Code of Conduct - SME Commercial Leasing Principles.
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The Code will be given effect through relevant state and territory legislation or regulation as appropriate. The Code is not intended to supersede such legislation but aims to complement it during the COVID-19 crisis period. It is expected to be in effect for six months at this stage.
This Code applies to all tenancies that are:
One of the overarching principles of the code is that Landlords and tenants will act in an open, honest and transparent manner, and will each provide sufficient and accurate information within the context of negotiations to achieve outcomes consistent with the Code. The definition in the Code of ‘sufficient and accurate information’ includes “…information generated from an accounting system, and information provided to and/or received from a financial institution…”.
The Code will be given effect through relevant state and territory legislation or regulation as appropriate. The Code is not intended to supersede such legislation but aims to complement it during the COVID-19 crisis period. It is expected to be in effect for six months at this stage.
This Code applies to all tenancies that are:
- eligible for the Commonwealth Government’s JobKeeper payment; and
- have an annual turnover of up to $50 million (herein referred to as “SME tenants”).
One of the overarching principles of the code is that Landlords and tenants will act in an open, honest and transparent manner, and will each provide sufficient and accurate information within the context of negotiations to achieve outcomes consistent with the Code. The definition in the Code of ‘sufficient and accurate information’ includes “…information generated from an accounting system, and information provided to and/or received from a financial institution…”.
Leasing Principles
In negotiating and putting in place appropriate temporary arrangements, the Code states that the following leasing principles should be applied as soon as practicable on a case-by-case basis:
- Landlords must not terminate leases due to non-payment of rent during the COVID-19 pandemic period (or reasonable subsequent recovery period).
- Tenants must remain committed to the terms of their lease, subject to any amendments to their rental agreement negotiated under this Code. Material failure to abide by substantive terms of their lease will forfeit any protections provided to the tenant under this Code.
- Landlords must offer tenants proportionate reductions in rent payable in the form of waivers and deferrals (as outlined under “definitions” in the Code) of up to 100% of the amount ordinarily payable, on a case-by-case basis, based on the reduction in the tenant’s trade during the COVID-19 pandemic period and a subsequent reasonable recovery period.
- Rental waivers must constitute no less than 50% of the total reduction in rent payable under principle #3 above over the COVID-19 pandemic period and should constitute a greater proportion of the total reduction in rent payable in cases where failure to do so would compromise the tenant’s capacity to fulfil their ongoing obligations under the lease agreement. Regard must also be had to the Landlord’s financial ability to provide such additional waivers. Tenants may waive the requirement for a 50% minimum waiver by agreement.
- Payment of rental deferrals by the tenant must be amortised over the balance of the lease term and for a period of no less than 24 months, whichever is the greater, unless otherwise agreed by the parties.
- Any reduction in statutory charges (e.g. land tax, council rates) or insurance will be passed on to the tenant in the appropriate proportion applicable under the terms of the lease.
- A landlord should seek to share any benefit it receives due to deferral of loan payments, provided by a financial institution as part of the Australian Bankers Association’s COVID-19 response, or any other case-by-case deferral of loan repayments offered to other Landlords, with the tenant in a proportionate manner.
- Landlords should, where appropriate, seek to waive recovery of any other expense (or outgoing payable) by a tenant, under lease terms, during the period the tenant is not able to trade. Landlords reserve the right to reduce services as required in such circumstances.
- If negotiated arrangements under this Code necessitate repayment, this should occur over an extended period in order to avoid placing an undue financial burden on the tenant. No repayment should commence until the earlier of the COVID-19 pandemic ending (as defined by the Australian Government) or the existing lease expiring and taking into account a reasonable subsequent recovery period.
- No fees, interest or other charges should be applied with respect to rent waived in principles #3 and #4 above and no fees, charges nor punitive interest may be charged on deferrals in principles #3, #4 and #5 above.
- Landlords must not draw on a tenant’s security for the non-payment of rent (be this a cash bond, bank guarantee or personal guarantee) during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic and/or a reasonable subsequent recovery period.
- The tenant should be provided with an opportunity to extend its lease for an equivalent period of the rent waiver and/or deferral period outlined in item #2 above. This is intended to provide the tenant additional time to trade, on existing lease terms, during the recovery period after the COVID-19 pandemic concludes.
- Landlords agree to a freeze on rent increases (except for retail leases based on turnover rent) for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and a reasonable subsequent recovery period, notwithstanding any arrangements between the landlord and the tenant.
- Landlords may not apply any prohibition or levy any penalties if tenants reduce opening hours or cease to trade due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
National Cabinet agreed to a set of principles to guide the Code on 3 April 2020. The Code comes into effect in all states and territories following that date (to be defined by each jurisdiction). The Code applies for the period during which the Commonwealth JobKeeper payment remains operational (six months at this stage).