The ACCC has granted both National Retail Association and Australian Retailers Association tenant members the ability to collectively negotiate with landlords.
The ruling will help retail tenants who have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to collectively negotiate support from landlords.
The NRA also requested authorisation for NRA landlord members to coordinate the provision of rent relief to their small and medium enterprise tenants.
NRA CEO Dominique Lamb said that the ruling will allow negotiations to be more productive.
"Retailers across Australia have been hit hard by the COVID-19 wrecking ball.
"Many businesses have struggled and the situation in Victoria demonstrates that both the health and economic struggle is far from over.
"The ACCC authorisation grants NRA members the ability to share information with each other and to collectively bargain with respect to their leases until September 1, 2021.
"Improving the quality of information accessible to both landlords and tenants will result in more productive negotiations and ultimately more effective outcomes for the respective parties.
"NRA members, particularly in Victoria, are in desperate need of help following the introduction of Stage 4 restrictions, while retailers across the rest of the country are nervous about a second-wave knocking over their business.
"The bottom-line is that retailers will continue to need assistance for the foreseeable future and we welcome the ACCC granting these rent relief measures until September 2021," she said.