An agreement was reached to guarantee the postponement of the rents of at least several hundred thousand companies according to The Parisian.
Emmanuel Macron announced it during his televised address on March 16: “Rents and bills for water, gas and electricity […] will have to be suspended […] for the smallest businesses that encounter difficulties “. The Federation of Real Estate and Landholding Companies, which brings together donors from shopping centers, property owners and many groups or associations of donors, quickly mobilized to implement this measure .
“The recovery of rents and charges of VSEs and SMEs belonging to one of the sectors whose activity is interrupted by the decree of the government, is suspended from April 1, 2020, and until the activity resumes “, assures Delphine Charles-Péronne, the general delegate of the Federation of real estate companies. “When it resumes, these rents and charges will be subject to deferred payment or deferrals without penalty or interest on delay and adapted to the situation of the companies in question”.
The National Council of Shopping Centers (CNCC) had already invited its donor members to suspend rents for the April deadline, the Ministry of the Economy is told. “This concerns a large number of stores belonging to small bosses”.
Thousands of companies involved
According to The Parisian, the measure should benefit restaurateurs, artisans, traders (excluding food) or even owners of SMEs. But it is still too early to establish the number of companies involved.
“We are going even further than the announcement by the Head of State, who asked for the postponement of the rents of the smallest companies”, welcomes Delphine Charles-Péronne, questioned by The Parisian. Indeed, “all companies can request a postponement and it will be granted to them on a case-by-case basis, depending on the decline in their activity”.
The Federation of Real Estate and Land Companies specifies that the National Union of Real Estate Owners (UNPI), which brings together individual owners, is a signatory to the agreement “and should send it back to its members”.
In addition, for small businesses who also wish to request the deferral of water, gas and electricity bills, guarantees have already been obtained from Engie and EDF according to Bercy.
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