Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS)

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.

• Claim period 1: September 27th to October 24th, 2020

• Claim period 2: October 25th to November 21st, 2020

• Claim period 3: November 22nd to December 19th, 2020

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

Get full eligibility details.

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.