The Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) will provide rent and mortgage support to small businesses affected by COVID-19. The subsidy will be administered by the CRA and will provide support directly to tenants.
The CERS helps businesses, charities, and non-profits that have suffered a revenue drop due to COVID-19. It subsidizes a percentage of expenses, on a sliding scale, up to a maximum of 65 per cent of eligible expenses until June 7, 2021. Hard-hit businesses subject to a lockdown could receive rent support of up to 90 per cent. There is no minimum revenue drop required to qualify for the subsidy.
A CERS application must be filed no later than 180 days after the end of a claim period. This support program is due to end on June 7, 2021.
CERS delivers:
Direct, targeted, and accessible rent support to qualifying organizations, without the need to go through your landlord
A subsidy for eligible fixed property expenses
A new, additional Lockdown Support of 25 per cent for businesses affected by a public health order
To be eligible, you must:
Be an eligible B.C. business, charity, or non-profit (eligible entity), or an "affiliated entity"
Have experienced a drop in revenue due to COVID-19. There is no minimum revenue drop required to qualify for the subsidy.
Have a qualifying property with specific related expenses
What is Lockdown Support?
The CERS program includes a new, additional Lockdown Support of 25 per cent for businesses that must shut their doors or significantly limit their activities under a public health order issued under the laws of Canada, a province or territory (including orders made by a municipality or regional health authority under one of those laws).
Combined, this would mean that hard-hit businesses subject to a lockdown could receive rent support of up to 90 per cent.
See more about Lockdown Support eligibility and subsidy amounts.
Eligible Expenses
You can apply for a portion of eligible expenses relevant to each claim period for each qualifying property.
A qualifying property is one that you:
Own or rent, and
Use in the course of your ordinary business activities
For each claim period, you can claim eligible expenses up to:
$75,000 per business location (base subsidy and top-up Lockdown Support)
$300,000 in total for all locations (including any amounts claimed by affiliated businesses)
Please contact your LFG Advisor for further details.