Ministers are drawing up plans to extend the lease forfeiture moratorium beyond the end of March.
The Times reports that both the business department and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have been talking to the property, retail and hospitality sectors over how best to extend the moratorium, which prevents landlords from repossessing commercial premises if businesses are unable to pay their rent as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.
By the end of March, when the moratorium is currently due to expire, it is understood that close to £3bn in unsettled rent will have accumulated within hospitality as a result of the Covid crisis.