ALBANY, N.Y. (WENY) -- Small businesses and landlords in New York State looking to renegotiate lease terms during the COVID-19 pandemic will now have access to free legal help.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the launch of New York Forward Small Business Lease Assistance Partnership. It is a public-private partnership between Empire State Development, Start Small Think Big and the New York Bar Association. 

Due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the new program will provide small businesses (and their landlords) informational resources and pro bono assistance to help both sides reach lease agreements which are mutually beneficial.

"While businesses want to stay current on their rent, the terms of leases that were established pre-COVID may make it financially impossible for them to do so as the pandemic drags on," New York State Bar Association President Scott M. Karson said in a news release from Gov. Cuomo's office. 

This service is available to all New York State small businesses and landlords, and participation is voluntary. 

"While a moratorium on commercial evictions is currently in place, this new public-private partnership will help provide an additional level of stability for small businesses and ensure they are able to play a role in helping build New York's economy back better than before," said Gov. Cuomo in the release.   

According to Gov. Cuomo's administration, the partnership has the capacity to serve thousands of small businesses statewide over the next year. 

For this partnership, Start Small will be offering pro bono legal services from its network of more than 1,000 attorneys, to commercial tenants and landlords seeking lease amendments to cope with the impacts of COVID-19. 

The Small Business Lease Assistance Partnership website (click HERE) includes information on the lease renegotiation process and details the different types of lease workouts available to help small businesses cope with the financial impacts of COVID-19. 

Those interested in pro bono assistance to initiate a lease renegotiation are encouraged to review and complete the partnership's intake form. 

After completing the form, Gov. Cuomo's office says each small business will receive an email detailing an estimated timeline for placement with a volunteer attorney. Once matched, the volunteer attorney will email the applicant to schedule an appointment. 

Additionally, the New York Forward Loan Fund continues to provide working capital loans of up to $100,000 to help small businesses and non-profit organizations reopen.