Options for landlords and tenants in the Covid-19 world? Part 2 & 3

Options for landlords and tenants in the Covid-19 world? Part 2

A few people have commented on last night’s post and it is worth pointing out the following:

Tenants should be advised to check for business interruption insurance to see if these events are covered.

Apparently the Morrison government will be discussing tenancy legislation at the national cabinet meeting on Tuesday night. I’ll report on any developments as soon as I can.

Options for landlords and tenants in the Covid-19 world? Part 3

This issue continues to generate comments and feedback. If you are following this issue, please note the following:

Frustrated contract are dealt with in part by Part 3.2 of the Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Act 2012 (Vic), which will, presumably, also apply to leases. The legislation addresses the consequences of frustration and the allocation of liabilities after an event of frustration occurs. I suspect that the legislation will have limited relevance for landlords and tenants, given that the rent is almost always paid monthly.

A few people have suggested that Covid-19 will be excluded from most business interruption insurance policies as a declared disease under relevant legislation. However, it is still worth checking the policy, just to be sure.