Ontario Government Announces Changes To Eviction Moratorium

Bill 229 (Protect, Support and Recover from COVID-19 Act (Budget Measures), 2020) received Royal Assent on December 8, 2020. Bill 229 essentially extended the moratorium originally imposed under Bill 192 (Protected Small Business Act, 2020) (as extended under Bill 204 (Helping Tenants and Small Businesses Act, 2020)). The moratorium under Bill 229 applies to tenancies where the landlord: (i) was eligible (or would be eligible) to receive assistance under the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program ("CECRA"); (ii) is receiving or has received assistance under CECRA; (iii) would be eligible to receive assistance under CECRA if the landlord entered into a rent reduction agreement with its tenant containing an eviction moratorium; or (iv) would have been eligible to receive assistance under CECRA if applications under the program were still being accepted. Bill 229 also extended protections to "prescribed tenancies" (though prescribed tenancies were not