Part 1: Introductory provisions Section 3: "Protected rent debt"
This section sets out what is meant by "protected rent debt" within the context of the Act.
	Subsection (2) provides two conditions to be met for rent due to be considered "protected rent". The first of these is that the tenancy was adversely affected by coronavirus (the definition of this is set out in section 4). The second condition is that the rent due was attributable to a period of occupation within the "protected period" defined in section 5.
	Subsection (3) states that rent consisting of interest due in respect of an unpaid amount (as described in section 2(1)) is attributable to the same period of occupation as that unpaid amount for the purposes of subsection (2) of section 3. This means that if a tenant is paying interest on rent due, the interest is considered to be from the same period of occupancy as the rent.
	Subsection (5) sets out that if rent due is only partly attributable to a period of occupation as described in subsection (2), then only the rent due which is attributable to that period qualifies as "protected rent". This means that if there is rent due which is attributable to occupation by the tenant both outside the protected period as well as within the protected period, then only that which was within the protected period is regarded as "protected rent" for the purposes of the Act. The Act does not provide any protection for non-payment of the portion which is not reasonably attributable to the protected period. Whereas the portion which is attributable to the protected period can be addressed under the Act’s system (if other eligibility criteria are met), notwithstanding any provision in the lease requiring payment in full.
	Subsection (6) states that unpaid protected rent is to be treated as including an amount drawn down from the tenancy deposit, as referred to in section 2(4). This means that the arbitrator can consider and make an award about this full amount and, depending on the award, the tenant may be relieved from having to make good any shortfall in the deposit.