Renting During Quarantine
Illia Semenchuk
April 15, 2026
By Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 211 dated March 11, 2020, “OnPreventing the Spread of the Acute Respiratory Disease COVID-19 Caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus” (as amended), a quarantine was imposed and certain restrictive measures were adopted throughout Ukraine from March 12, 2020, to May 11, 2020. The implementation of these measures resulted in nearly 70% of businesses in Ukraine effectively suspending their operations. Some ceased production, some stopped providing certain services, and some ceased their economic activities entirely.
What should business entities do in a situation where they are “under quarantine,” meaning they are not conducting their usual activities, and how can they fulfill their obligations arising from contracts concluded before the entry into force of CMU Resolution No. 211?
For example, let’s consider one of the most common issues regarding the performance of lease agreements.
On April 2, 2020, Law of Ukraine No. 540-IX “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Aimed at Providing Additional Social and Economic Guarantees in Connection with the Spread of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)” entered into force. This law amended certain legislative acts of Ukraine, including those regarding the rights and obligations of tenants under lease agreements during the quarantine period. In particular, Section “Final and Transitional Provisions” of the Civil Code of Ukraine was supplemented with Paragraph 14, which reads as follows:
“From the moment of the introduction of quarantine, introduced by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine ‘On Preventing the Spread of the Acute Respiratory Disease COVID-19 Caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus on the Territory of Ukraine’ dated March 11, 2020 No. 211 (as amended and supplemented), and until its termination in accordance with the procedure established by law the tenant may be exempted from payment for the use of the property in accordance with Part Six of Article 762 of this Code.”
As can be seen, the legislature has ostensibly resolved the issue of rent for the quarantine period; however, the aforementioned provision is a blanket provision and refers to another article of the Civil Code of Ukraine.
In turn, Part 6 of Article 762 of the Civil Code of Ukraine establishes that the tenant is exempt from payment for the entire periodduring which the property could not be used by him due to circumstances for which he is not responsible.
That is, this provision of the article clearly defines that the tenant does not pay rent exclusively in the event that the property cannot be used by him.
The Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court, in Resolution No. 910/7495/16 dated May 8, 2018, clarified the phrase “could not be used” in the context of Part 6 of Article 762 of the Civil Code of Ukraine. The Court stated the following:
“the cited legal provision defines as grounds for exemption from the obligation to pay rentthe objective and direct impossibility of using the leased property (being admitted to the premises, staying there, storing items on the premises, etc.) due to circumstances for which the tenant is not responsible.”
As can be seen, Law of Ukraine No. 540-IX “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Aimed at Providing Additional Social and Economic Guarantees in Connection with the Spread of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)” does not automatically exempt the tenant from rent, but merely establishes the grounds under which a procedure for exemption from payment for the use of the property may take place.
However, if you find yourself in a situation where your obligations fall under Part 6 of Article 762 of the Civil Code of Ukraine, then in order to be exempted from paying rent, you must confirm the existence of the relevant circumstances on the basis of which a tenant may be exempted from fulfilling their obligations. We will now clarify what these circumstances are and how to confirm them.
As a general rule established by Article 526 of the Civil Code of Ukraine, an obligation must be performed properly in accordance with the terms of the contract and the requirements of this Code, other acts of civil legislation, and, in the absence of such terms and requirements, in accordance with business customs or other requirements that are customarily imposed.
A person who has breached an obligation is exempt from liability for the breach if they prove that the breach occurred due to an accident or force majeure.
In accordance with the Law of Ukraine “On Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Ukraine,” force majeure circumstances (circumstances of insurmountable force) are extraordinary and unavoidable circumstances that objectively make it impossible to fulfill the obligations provided for by the terms of a contract (agreement, etc.) or duties in accordance with legislative and other regulatory acts, namely: the threat of war, armed conflict, or a serious threat of such a conflict, including but not limited to enemy attacks, blockades, military embargoes, actions by a foreign enemy, general military mobilization, military operations, declared and undeclared war, actions of a public enemy, riots, acts of terrorism, sabotage, piracy, disturbances, invasion, blockade, revolution, mutiny, insurrection, mass unrest, imposition of a curfew, quarantine established by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, expropriation, compulsory seizure, seizure of enterprises, requisition, public demonstration, blockade, strike, accident, unlawful acts of third parties, fire, explosion, prolonged interruptions in transportation services, as regulated by the terms of relevant decisions and acts of state authorities, closure of sea straits, embargoes, bans (restrictions) on exports/imports, etc., as well as those caused by exceptional weather conditions and natural disasters, namely: epidemics, severe storms, cyclones, hurricanes, tornadoes, storms, floods, snow accumulation, black ice, hail, frost, freezing of the sea, straits, ports, mountain passes, earthquakes, lightning, fires, droughts, ground subsidence and landslides, other natural disasters, etc.
In accordance with Article 14 of the aforementioned Law, the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry certifies force majeure circumstances (circumstances of insurmountable force), as well as commercial and port customs accepted in Ukraine, upon application by business entities and individuals; certifies force majeure circumstances in accordance with the terms of contracts upon requests from business entities engaged in housing construction (clients, developers).
The Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the regional chambers of commerce and industry authorized by it certify force majeure (circumstances of insurmountable force) and issue a certificate regarding such circumstances within seven days from the date of the business entity’s request at cost. The certificate regarding force majeure (circumstances of insurmountable force) is issued free of charge to small businesses.
Thus, to confirm the occurrence of force majeure circumstances, a person must submit a corresponding application to the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (a sample of which can be obtained on the Chamber’s official website). A copy of the contract giving rise to the relevant obligation must be attached to this application. Attach a copy of the order (decree) suspending operations due to the introduction of quarantine measures by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the inability to use the property for its intended purpose. It is also necessary to notify the other party to the contract of the issuance of this order. A copy of such notification must also be attached to the application. The specified list of documents may be sent to the following email addresses: [email protected].
We would like to note separately that the procedure for obtaining a certificate confirming the occurrence of force majeure circumstances is quite complex and requires meticulous work by specialists in this field. The outcome of the review of such an application—and, consequently, the decision to issue (or refuse to issue) a certificate confirming the existence of force majeure circumstances—depends on the quality of the application submitted to the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the proper format of the information provided.