Tallinn offers 80 percent rental relief to commercial tenants

Estonia enjoys the lowest 14-day coronavirus rate in Europe

Tallinn city government has decided to offer catering, retail and entertainment businesses operating on downtown city-owned premises a rent discount of up to 80 percent. The measure comes into effect retroactively from 1 September and will run to year-end.

European Commission-approved scheme

Commercial tenants are the latest beneficiaries of a scheme aimed at helping local businesses battered by the Covid-19 crisis to keep their head above water. Deputy Mayor Aivar Riisalu told ERR that the new set of measures had been drawn up in late summer to upgrade supports introduced in the spring of 2020 when the first wave of the pandemic swept over Europe. Earlier this week, the package passed European Commission approval regarding rules on state aid.

The second aid package provides discount terms for businesses active in the city centre, whose summer peak season is over. The discount is generally 80 percent, but the percentage varies in some cases. For example, tenants of 26 commercial premises in the Old Town will get a 30 percent rental discount, while one nightclub operator and souvenir shop owners will enjoy a whopping 100 percent relief.

Eligibility under the scheme is not universal, either. Those in arrears of rent with no debt rescheduling agreement in place will be exempt, as well as entities co-owned by the city, agricultural product processors or sellers who would pass their discount to the producer, and tenants of properties used for cultural purposes such as theatres and museums.

Schools to continue with remote learning

Tallinn city government has also decided that schools would continue with distance learning after the half-term holiday. City councillors, however, could not agree on mandatory mask wearing, or eventual reduction of quarantine time for new arrivals.

As of Monday morning, Estonia has the lowest 14-day coronavirus rate in Europe, at 41.1 per 100 000 residents, according to comparison figures published by Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat. Estonia is also among the only three countries in Europe, together with Moldova and Montenegro, where the infection rate has fallen in the past two weeks.