COVID-19 | Victorian Commercial Tenancy Relief 3.0 – Victoria introduces extended rent relief for small business

In response to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, the Victorian Government has now released the Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme Regulations 2022 (Vic) (2022 Regulations) which extends the entitlement to rent relief and related protections for certain small businesses. What has changed? Our previous publication on the Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme Regulations 2021 (2021 Regulations) can be found […]

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COVID-19 | Regulation extended, but reduced rent relief regime, for impacted lessees in NSW

In response to the continued impact of restrictions on businesses in New South Wales, the New South Wales Government has introduced the Retail and Other Commercial Leases (COVID-19) Regulation 2022 (NSW) (Updated Regulations), commencing 13 January 2022. What has changed? The Updated Regulation extends the protections, but reduces the entitlement to rent relief, granted to impacted […]

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COVID-19 | Regulations reinstate rent relief regime for impacted lessees in NSW

In response to the impact of lockdowns on businesses in New South Wales, the New South Wales government has introduced the Retail and Other Commercial Leases (COVID-19) Amendment Regulation 2021 (NSW) (Updated Regulation). What has changed? The Updated Regulation extends the protections granted to impacted lessees under the Retail and Other Commercial Leases (COVID-19) Regulation […]

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COVID-19 | Land tax relief for landlords in NSW

The NSW Government has introduced further land tax relief measures for the 2021 Land Tax Year to landlords who provide rent relief waivers to tenants experiencing financial distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligibility For a landlord to be eligible for relief for the 2021 Land Tax Year the following criteria apply and must be […]

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COVID-19 | Reminder to Landlords: 2020 land tax relief applications close soon

This article is issued as a timely reminder to Landlords who intend to seek COVID-19 land tax relief for the 2020 land tax year. Applications for relief in New South Wales and Victoria must be lodged prior to 31 March 2021. In this update, we summarise the application process, eligibility criteria and evidentiary requirements for […]

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COVID-19 | Update: NSW extends rent relief scheme for impacted lessees

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the NSW government has extended the expiry date of the ‘prescribed period’ under retail and commercial tenancy laws to 31 December 2020. The Retail and Other Commercial Leases (COVID-19) Regulation (No 2) 2020 (Updated Regulations) have been introduced in NSW, with the effect of repealing and remaking the […]

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COVID-19 | Sneakerboy The Sequel: A Practical Application of the NSW COVID-19 Regulation and Leasing Regime

In the second instalment of Sneakerboy, the Court applies various aspects of the NSW COVID-19 leasing regime and addresses the forthcoming repeal of the NSW COVID-19 Regulation, currently scheduled for 24 October 2020. The Sneakerboy Decisions The recent NSW Supreme Court decision of Sneakerboy Retail Pty Ltd trading as Sneakerboy v Georges Properties Pty Ltd […]

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Off the plan sales and changes to the property

Can the purchaser of an apartment off the plan terminate the contract because the carspace allocated to the lot contained a PWD symbol? Perhaps surprisingly the issue was recently considered by the Supreme Court of New South Wales[1].  The decision provides a useful reminder of the principles which apply to variations between contract and settlement. […]

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Real estate agent email hacked but buyer pays the price

If you have bought or sold a property recently, you probably received a warning about relying on emails directing you to pay money to a particular bank account without first checking with the sender that the email has not been altered. Given the amount of money involved, real estate transactions are a prime target for […]

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COVID-19 | Update: NSW Government introduces new regulations for retail and commercial leasing

Following the Mandatory Code of Conduct released by the National Cabinet on 7 April 2020 (Code), the New South Wales Government has introduced the Retail and Other Commercial Leases (COVID-19) Regulation 2020 (Regulations). The Regulations introduce temporary measures to provide urgent relief for retail and commercial tenants as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The […]

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COVID-19 | Cth Government releases Code of Conduct for Commercial Leasing Arrangements

Following on from our earlier update, the Commonwealth Government has now released the mandatory Code of Conduct (Code) which the National Cabinet have agreed should be implemented by all states and territories in an effort to address the impacts of COVID-19 on commercial tenants (including retail, office and industrial).  This announcement comes after the Government’s […]

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COVID-19 | Proposed Code of Conduct for Commercial and Retail Tenancies

The economic impact on both landlords and tenants during the COVID-19 pandemic continues to increase as stricter social distancing measures and restrictions on gatherings affect the ability of business to operate and trade from commercial and retail premises. The National Cabinet met on 3 April 2020 to discuss the proposed Code of Conduct for Commercial […]

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