Commercial Rent Relief Grant Program

PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONCommercial Rent Relief Program LOGO Opens in new window

The Commercial Rent Relief Grant Program (“Program”) is an effort of the City of Dublin to leverage a portion of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to mitigate the severe impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on small businesses in Dublin.  The Program goal is to aid small businesses in their economic recovery by providing rent relief to those small businesses that are behind in rent payments due to temporary closures and/or limited-service options since the onset of the pandemic.  

The Program provides a one-time $10,000 grant to 100 qualified small business tenants with at least $10,000 in rent arrears, paid directly to the commercial landlord.

The Program is open to all eligible small businesses; however, a priority will be placed on restaurants, retail, and personal service (fitness, salon, and spa) establishments. Each qualified small business tenant is limited to one grant.

Quick Reference Links:

PROGRAM CRITERIA

Applications must be completed by the landlord and applicants (landlord and tenant) must be willing to enter into an agreement with the City of Dublin in connection with this Program.  A sample of the agreement can be reviewed online, along with a one-page summary of the Program for reference.

Application Period:

  • Friday, July 23, 2021 through Sunday, August 8, 2021

Application Steps (dates subject to change):

  1. Submit Application and required documents (deadline August 8, 2021) (sample application).
  2. Staff will review applications August 9 - 20, 2021.
  3. Staff will notify applicants of application status and provide approved applicants with a pre-approval notice with the agreement (sample agreement) for signing by both the landlord and tenant. 

Program Eligibility Criteria for Small Business Tenants include, but is not limited to:

  • Must be physically located in the City of Dublin
  • Must possess a valid City of Dublin Business License (as of March 1, 2021)
  • Must be in good standing with the City
  • Must have a minimum of one employee with a maximum of 50 full-time employees
  • Must have at least $10,000 in commercial rent arrears from March 31, 2020 to present
  • Must have a commercial lease showing the business as the master tenant (not subletting)
  • Must not be a lending and/or investment institution and/or insurance company
  • Must not be a home-based business or non-profit entity
  • Must not be a corporately owned chain/franchise store, professional service, or hotel
  • Must sign an agreement confirming all of the above

Commercial Landlord Eligibility Requirements:

  • Must apply grant funds to small business tenant’s rent arrears balance
  • Must attest that the small business tenant is a master lease tenant
  • Must declare intent to continue leasing small business tenant in current space through 2021
  • Must declare intent to not start eviction process on the qualified small business tenant through 2021
  • Must sign an agreement confirming all of the above

Documentation Requirements:

  • Commercial lease showing business as the master tenant
  • Monthly breakdown of rent arrears from March 2020 to present or however many months the tenant is behind
  • Signed agreement with commercial landlord and small business tenant acknowledgment of requirements 

In-eligible Businesses include, but is not limited to:

  • Lending and investment institutions and insurance companies
  • Non-profit entities
  • Hotels
  • Professional services
  • Home-based businesses
  • Corporately-owned chain/franchise stores

GRANT PROCESS & TIMELINE (Subject to Change)

  • Application Submittal Period:        July 23, 2021 through August 8, 2021
  • Application Review:                       August 9, 2021 through August 20, 2021
  • Preapproval Notification:               Week of August 23, 2021
  • Funds Disbursement:                    Week of August 30, 2021

APPLICATION CRITERIA & REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

  • Applications must be completed by the Property Owner / Landlord / Property Manager
  • Applications will be accepted starting Friday, July 23, 2021 through Sunday, August 8, 2021
  • Applications will be reviewed collectively based on the Program prioritization described above; applications will not be approved on a first-come, first-served basis
  • Applicants will need to provide a copy of the lease showing the small business tenant as the master tenant with an active lease at least until the end of 2021
  • Applicants will need to provide a one-page report showing the rent arrears for each month for the small business tenant for the period of March 31, 2020 until present (or however many months the tenant is behind)
  • Commercial landlords may submit applications for more than one small business tenant, however, each qualified tenant is limited to one grant

MORE INFORMATION

If you have additional questions about the Program or the application process, please contact the Office of Economic Development via email or call Rhonda Franklin at 925-833-6650.