Our Policy Platform
Commercial rent is fixable. Here is the plan.
Commercial rent is one of the last unregulated markets in Canada, and more transparency, affordability, security, and access to capital will help it work better for business owners, landlords, and the economy.
The four problems we are solving
Transparency
See the market clearly: who owns a space, what it costs, and what sits empty.
Affordability
Keep rent and right-sized space within reach of an independent business.
Security
Protect a business from the sudden, arbitrary loss of space it has invested in.
Access to Capital
Help owners buy and hold their own property instead of renting forever.
The BWA builds tools like our lease survival guide + cash flow calculator that help businesses hire well, plan, and negotiate leases on a more level playing field.
Elected officials at every level of government can take the standards of good landlords and make them the minimum standard. Discover the policy ideas below. Not everything will work in your particular jurisdiction, but you can get the creative juices flowing.
Provincial
The rules that govern every lease
Provincial
The rules that govern every lease
The Commercial Renter Bill of Rights
Right to a standard lease Transparency
Plain-language agreements that clearly set out responsibilities and timelines, enforceable without going to court.
Right to affordable dispute resolution Security
An out-of-court process to settle landlord and tenant disputes quickly and at low cost.
Right to predictable rent increases Affordability
A cap on increases between lease terms, and a right to a renewal offer, so rent cannot be used to force a tenant out.
Right to withhold rent Security
A Balance Offset Clause letting tenants offset rent against money a landlord owes, without risk of eviction.
Lease structure
Restructure triple net leases Affordability
Reform the lease structure that loads operating costs, taxes, and maintenance onto tenants.
Municipal
Levers that shape a single block
Municipal
Levers that shape a single block
Right-size retail in new builds Affordability
Smaller, tenant-viable units and shared facilities that lower per-tenant cost. Toronto already requires this on Retail Priority Streets; Mirvish Village built it voluntarily at Honest Ed's Alley.
A commercial landlord and rent registry Transparency
A public record of who owns each storefront, what it leases for, and whether it sits empty. New York's Storefront Registry has done this for more than 70,000 properties since 2019; Toronto can extend the system behind RentSafeTO and start on its Economic Dashboard.
A citywide storefront repair fund Security
Help operators cover repair costs from break-ins and vandalism, directed to the business that absorbs the loss rather than the property owner. One operator faced $40,000 in glass repairs over four break-ins, with insurance covering only the first.
Make subdividing easier Affordability
Remove the barriers to splitting oversized commercial space into units a small business can actually rent.
More inspectors Security
Adequate commercial inspection capacity to enforce agreements and protect public safety.
Relocation support and a right to return Affordability
Relocation support and a right to return, written into redevelopment approvals, so established local tenants come back to the rebuilt space, with stronger protections for any tenant displaced by redevelopment.
A commercial vacancy tax Affordability
Discourage landlords from holding storefronts empty. Edmonton is considering one for 2026.
Federal
National recognition and access to capital
Federal
National recognition and access to capital
Micro-business designation Access to Capital
Recognize micro-businesses (1 to 9 employees, 77.3% of employer firms) as a distinct category in federal law and statistics. In 2025, California adopted a micro-business classification that came with commercial rent protections.
CSBFP modernization Access to Capital
Modernize the Canada Small Business Financing Program to improve access to capital, including for commercial real estate, so more owners can buy the buildings they operate in.
Momentum
Decision-makers are already moving.
Across the country, councils and legislatures are already acting on these ideas.
Toronto
City Council backs the asks, 21 to 1
In May 2024, Council passed Motion MM18.24, asking Ontario for commercial rent control, a dispute tribunal, and standardized leases. A model for other councils.
National
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities
The FCM has backed our call to overhaul the Canada Small Business Financing Program, raising the cap to $5 million, lowering interest rates, and adopting the further reforms in our proposal.
British Columbia
New Westminster and the UBCM
New Westminster Council asked the province for the power to enable commercial rent controls in designated zones, a resolution later endorsed by the Union of BC Municipalities.
Nova Scotia
A Commercial Rent Cap Act
Nova Scotia introduced a Commercial Rent Cap Act (Bill 177) in 2025, a sign the issue is now reaching provincial legislatures.
Whoever you are in this market, there is a way to help fix it.
CommercialRent.ca is a project of the Better Way Alliance. Canada's leading business voice on commercial rent.