Back to all publications
Jun 25, 2020
Ontario Government Bans Commercial Evictions in Ontario: What Bill 192 Means to Landlords and Tenants
By Kenneth Pimentel, Monty Warsh, Marco Gammone and Faruk Gafic
Bill 192 (Protecting Small Business Act, 2020), which received Royal Assent on June 18, 2020, amends certain provisions of the Commercial Tenancies Act. The amendments are temporary in nature and are intended to limit enforcement action by landlords during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The key elements of Bill 192 are as follows:
Bill 192 appears to be an attempt by the Ontario government to create an incentive for landlords to apply for CECRA on behalf of their small business tenants. However, it is not clear how much the prohibition on enforcement action by landlords will do to encourage more landlords to opt into the CECRA program if they have not already decided to apply.
Our Commercial Leasing Group will continue to monitor developments and any new information that may arise in connection with CECRA. We are always available to assist landlords and tenants in navigating successful completion of relief under CECRA and to help overcome the hurdles presented by COVID-19. We are committed to keeping clients informed on matters pertaining to commercial leasing, including providing continued updates on interpreting CECRA.