City Rail Link Ltd Applicant Guide to the Business Hardship Programme
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Applicant Guide to the Business Hardship Programme Introduction The City Rail Link Business Hardship Programme (Programme), provided by City Rail Link Limited (CRL Ltd), offers rent assistance to small businesses in the Albert Street Impact Zone that have been affected by delays to the construction activities carried out by CRL Ltd’s contractors in that area (the CRL Project Works). The Albert Street Impact Zone is:
Other than in exceptional circumstances, CRL Ltd intends to provide the rent assistance directly to the qualifying business as the tenant. Payment of rent under the lease remains a contractual obligation directly between the landlord and the tenant.
How much financial assistance will be provided under the programme? The Programme will provide assistance of up to a maximum of $75,000 (plus GST) to a qualifying business who the valuer determines is paying in excess of market rent rates under the circumstances.
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Albert Street between Customs Street and Victoria Street West
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Mills Lane
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Swanson Street (between Mills Lane and Federal Street)
The Programme targets small business owners who are lease-holders of premises in the Albert Street Impact Zone.
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Wyndham Street West (to St Patrick’s Square only)
The Programme is not available for property owners or owner/occupiers.
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Kingston Street (to Federal Street only).
CRL Ltd may also consider applications from small businesses operating immediately outside the Albert Street Impact Zone (at its discretion). CRL Ltd understands that some small businesses have experienced financial hardship because construction works have taken longer than originally planned. That’s why it is taking action to assist those businesses. The Programme is designed to provide an ex-gratia or goodwill payment to those impacted businesses. The Programme’s primary purpose is to provide assistance to small business owners with their rent. It is not intended for land owners who will benefit from significant property value uplift when the City Rail Link project is complete. To receive assistance, an applicant must satisfy the Programme’s eligibility criteria.
What is rent assistance? If available, ‘rent assistance’ is a financial payment covering the difference between the net rent the small business is paying for its leased premises and the market rent payable for those premises (as assessed by the valuer). Rent assistance would be an initial upfront payment backdated to 1 September 2019 and regular payments matching the lease rental payment dates, up until the date of completion of the CRL Project Works.
How is the rent assistance assessed?
Who can apply for assistance?
General eligibility criteria To qualify for assistance, a business will need to meet the following criteria: •
It occupies and holds a lease for premises located within the Albert Street Impact Zone
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It employs fewer than 20 full-time equivalent employees at the leased premises
• It has remained in the same ownership or was owned by the same entity/person since 1 June 2016, i.e. CRL Project Works
It has been operating at this location prior to the relevant construction start date 1 June 2016
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It has a valid and existing lease for the business’ premises which was entered into prior to 1 June 2016
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It must have been financially viable as at 1 June 2016
• It has been and is still operating, at the leased premises, with all required statutory and regulatory approvals under the relevant laws, including planning, licensing and building approvals. The Programme is not available to: •
Any business located outside the Albert Street Impact Zone
• Any business owner who acquired a business located within the Albert Street Impact Zone after 1 June 2016
An independent valuer will measure the difference between:
• Any previous owner of a business located within Albert Street Impact Zone who sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of such business after 1 June 2016
1. The net rent currently payable under the relevant lease agreement (taking into account any incentives and concessions available to the business under the lease) for the premises
• Any business owner who has entered into an agreement to sell their business located within the Albert Street Impact Zone
2. The market rent for those premises (taking into account the impact of the delayed completion of the construction works undertaken by CRL Ltd’s contractors within the Albert Street Impact Zone).
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Property owners or property owner / occupiers in the Albert Street Impact Zone.
This assessment will determine whether the rent the business is currently paying is more than the valuer assesses as being the market rent for those premises (taking into account the impact of the delay to construction works). It is possible that the valuer may determine that the delays to CRL Project Works have not resulted in any rent difference.
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Application process Applicant are invited to apply anytime from now until CRL Project Works are substantially complete.
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The applicant reads the Applicant Guide and contacts CRL Ltd staff with any queries
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The applicant sends the completed Application Form to CRL Ltd, including all required evidence and signed documents
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CRL Ltd reviews the application, and inform the applicant of their eligibility and if any further information is required
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Application is given by CRL Ltd to an independent valuer to determine any rent assistance
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The valuer may contact the applicant for further information, or request access to the applicant’s place of business as they make their assessment
By lodging an application under the Programme, the applicant will authorise CRL Ltd to make such enquiries that it considers appropriate to verify any information provided. This may include contacting the Inland Revenue Department and the applicant’s landlord(s). Any recipient of payments from the Programme will be required to repay all money received if its application, or any information provided by the applicant, contains any misrepresentation or is false or misleading.
Notification of decision Once CRL Ltd receives the independent valuer’s assessment of market rent for the applicant’s premises, the applicant will be notified of the outcome of that assessment by email.
Successful applicants If financial assistance has been approved, the applicant will need to sign a Deed of Acceptance. Both documents will need to be signed and returned to CRL Ltd before a financial assistance payment can be made.
What supporting documents are required with my application?
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The valuer’s assessment is provided to CRL Ltd
It is important that the eligibility of a business is supported by verifiable and auditable evidence. CRL Ltd requires the following documents:
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CRL Ltd informs the applicant of the outcome of their application
• A completed application form (incomplete applications will not be accepted)
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If rent assistance is assessed as payable, the applicant will be required to sign a Deed of Acceptance
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Ex-gratia payment(s) made by CRL Ltd to the applicant
Submitting an application
• Copy of the current lease (including any variations or other applicable documents such as rent reviews) with a commencement date earlier than 1 July 2016 • Evidence of uninterrupted occupation of the premises by the business owner (under the lease) since 1 June 2016 • Evidence of rent paid to the landlord over the previous 12 months (or such other period as determined by CRL Ltd) • List of employees or other documentation (e.g. payroll tax returns) to demonstrate employee numbers
To file an application, the applicant will need to:
• Other financial information required by CRL Ltd, including verifiable financial information such as annual profit and loss statements for the period from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016
(a)
complete the Application Form
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(b)
sign a Confidentiality Agreement
(c)
provide supporting evidence
Confidentiality Agreement
What’s involved in the rent valuation?
These documents are to be sent to CRL Ltd either by email, post or delivery.
It is estimated that the valuation process will take up to four weeks once all information has been provided. The valuer’s determination of rent assistance (if any) is final with no right of review.
Review of application
Once CRL Ltd has received the valuation report, it will notify the applicant of any rent assistance available. The notification will set out the terms of the rent assistance payments, including frequency of payment and whether there will be any payment made in arrears (backdated to 1 September 2019).
CRL Ltd must be satisfied that the business meets the eligibility criteria and has provided all required evidence to support their application. If CRL Ltd is not satisfied that a business meets the eligibility criteria, they will advise the business, in writing, to that effect. CRL Ltd’s decision, in respect of any determination regarding eligibility, is final.
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Will subsequent rent reviews be taken into account? Where a rent review occurs under the lease during the period when rent assistance payments are being made, consideration may be given to the rent review procedure under the lease. The rental valuation certified by valuer could include commentary on rent review provisions under the lease.
Can professional advisor fees to assist with the application be claimed? The Programme does not provide for any legal, accounting or other expenses associated with completing an application or advising on accessing assistance under the Programme. However, this does not prohibit CRL Ltd from exercising its discretion to provide an allowance for professional expenses.
How do I submit my application? Applications must be submitted to City Rail Link Limited either: By email hardshipprogramme@cityraillink.govt.nz Post PO Box 9681, Newmarket, Auckland 1149 Delivery Level 2, 25 Teed Street, Newmarket, Auckland
Contact us Contact the CRL Ltd team on 0800 CRL TALK or via email hardshipprogramme@cityraillink.govt.nz
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CRLL0286 CRLL Business Support Guideline BHP-Dec 2019