ON: Legislation introduced to protect small businesses from being locked out

The Ontario government has introduced the Helping Tenants and Small Businesses Act that in addition to freezing rent in 2021 for most rent-controlled and non-rent-controlled residential units also proposes to change the Commercial Tenancies Act to extend the temporary ban on evictions for commercial tenants. The ban was initially in place from May 1, 2020 to August 31, 2020, to align with the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for small businesses. This temporary ban would continue to apply to businesses that are eligible for federal-provincial rent assistance through the CECRA for small businesses, but their landlord chose not to apply for the program. The ban will protect small businesses from being locked out or having their assets seized during COVID-19.

For more information on the legislation to freeze residential rent, consult the Government of Ontario’s new release.