Mr Franklin-Browne has so far avoided having to close his Lonsdale Street restaurant Pizza Gusto, although social distancing rules means he can only serve takeaway meals.

He's yet to do the sums, but estimates that revenue has dropped more than 30 per cent since the restrictions came into force last month.

Mr Franklin-Browne hasn't had to let any of his staff go, although he has sacrificed a slice of his salary to help the business cope with the losses.

"It's been very much day to day for the past few weeks," he said.

"It's still quite unsure. You hear the Prime Minister's announcements and wait to see if your industry is next."

Amid the uncertainty, his landlord has provided some some comfort, offering to halve his rent for the next three months.

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Now the ACT government has stepped in with its own package to help businesses survive the coronavirus-induced economic crisis.

The government will offer rate rebates to landlords who strike agreements with tenants to reduce their rent.

Not all businesses will be eligible for the scheme, with payments to be offered in cases where a tenant has experienced losses of at least 30 per cent due to coronavirus-related restrictions.

The highest rate of support will be offered to landlords whose tenants have been force to shut their doors.

There will be a cap on the amount available to landlords, although the government is still working with industry groups on the details.

Mr Franklin-Browne said providing rent relief was essential to help businesses survive the downturn.

"It is really important in terms of cash flow because we have had a decline in sales," he said.

"It's really, really helpful for the government to offer that incentive."

Notaras Commercial principal Eleni Notaras, speaking on behalf of the landlord, welcomed the government's announcement.

"We are very happy that the government has acknowledged that without the rates and land tax relief, the landlords will not be in a position to help their tenants through," she said.

"It has to be a partnership between landlord, tenant and government."

Ms Notaras said there was still a lack of clarity about exactly which businesses would be able to access the support.

One example was commercial precincts, which had one landlord but a number of businesses which might be affected by the pandemic in vastly different ways. For instance, the precinct's gym might have closed due to the restrictions, but the cafe next door is still trading.

"The total site might not have had income reduced by 30 per cent, but individual tenants would have - so we're interested to know how that would work," she said.

Property Council ACT executive director Adina Cirson praised the government for acting quickly to deliver the second wave of economic support.

For information on COVID-19, please go to the ACT Health website or the federal Health Department's website.

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