Heartbreaking moment a Sydney cafe owner is locked out of his own business after he fails to pay his rent during lockdown

Confronting footage has captured the moment a Sydney café owner was locked out of his own business after he was unable to pay rent during the city's lockdown. 

Chris Bull was last week given only 24 hours to pay $13,000 in owed rent for his Goodbye Horses café in Summer Hill in Sydney's inner-west.

Video taken by his staff the next day showed a locksmith changing the locks despite Mr Bull's plea for his landlord to wait until Covid-19 small business relief arrived from the NSW government. 

'You are fully aware what you're doing is illegal?' one of his staff members can be heard saying.

Chris Bull was last week given only 24 hours to pay $13,000 in owed rent for his Goodbye Horses café in Summer Hill in Sydney's inner-west

'I'm acting under the instruction of a solicitor,' a man inside the doorway responded. 

The business owner said he expected more 'wiggle room' from his landlord given the dire situation facing hospitality businesses across NSW.

'We have no idea why they would want to get rid of a business that would be guaranteed government assistance,' he told the Today show.

Bars and cafés have been open for takeaway service only since June 26 and the business has been doing only 40 per cent of its normal trade since that date.

He and his colleague got most of their belongings out of the property before the locks were change, but he said the equipment left behind will now be sold off by his creditors to pay back the rent.

'We thought that we would be protected by the moratorium on evictions,' Mr Bull said. 'But it doesn't seem to be anything that anybody can enforce.'

NSW tenancy law during the latest lockdown stipulates commercial landlords and tenants must first attempt to re-negotiate the rent and attempt mediation before an eviction can take place.

Video taken by his staff the next day showed a locksmith changing the locks despite Mr Bull's plea for his landlord to wait until Covid-19 small business relief arrived from the NSW government

The business owner has launched a GoFundMe page to help fund his legal battle to keep his cafe open and his staff employed. 

'They've all come together, it's a pretty tight-knit team,' he said.

The page has so far raised $25,000 and Mr Bull plans to use the money to support his now-unemployed staff and to start a case with the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

The business owner has launched a GoFundMe page to help fund his legal battle to keep his cafe open and his staff employed

'We have lost not only our income but a shop we called home for five years,' the fundraising page reads.  

'Shame on the NSW government for not providing legislation that can be enforced on a timely basis. 

'What good are grants if they arrive after our doors have closed?'