Tenants and landlords in Victoria will receive additional support amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the state government announced.
The ban on evictions and rental increases will be extended until the end of the year. This will be applied on both residential and commercial tenancies.
"Extending the ban on evictions and rental increases is an important step in ensuring we help tenants and landlords get through the coronavirus pandemic and out the other side," said Melissa Horne, minister for consumer affairs.
Over the past four months, almost 26,000 agreements for reduced rents have been registered with the Consumer Affairs Victoria. The advice and dispute resolution services will continue to remain in place, according to the state government's announcement.
The Victorian Small Business Commission recorded over 7,900 rent-related enquiries from small business owners and landlords. Around nine in 10 of these enquiries have resulted in tenants and landlords reaching common ground.
Commercial landlords will now be required to provide rent relief in proportion with the fall in turnover being experienced by eligible tenants.
"Fairness is a two-way street, and we're providing the support that means tenants and landlords can continue to work together to find common ground," said Jaala Pulford, minister for small businesses.
The state government also announced that it will be continuing the Rental Relief Grant program, which will provide eligible residential tenants and landlords with up to $3,000 in rental payments. Previous recipients of the grant will be able to receive $1,000 more.
The state government also increased the discount on land tax from 25% to 50%. Both residential and commercial landlords will be able to apply for this relief.
Furthermore, a fund of $60m for eligible small commercial landlords will be available through a "hardship scheme", which will provide up to $3,000 per tenancy. This means that small businesses that own their commercial premises will now benefit from the tax relief.
