Leases

During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, we offered a rent relief program for eligible TH franchisees in Canada who lease property from us (the “TH rent relief program”) and a rent relief program for eligible BK franchisees in the U.S. and Canada who lease property from us (the “BK rent relief program” and together with the TH rent relief program, the “rent relief programs”), a portion of which concluded during the three months ended September 30, 2020. Under the rent relief programs, we temporarily converted the rent structure from a combination of fixed plus variable rent to 100% variable rent. While in effect, these programs result in a reduction in our property revenues.

In April 2020, the FASB staff issued interpretive guidance that indicated it would be acceptable for entities to make an election to account for lease concessions related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic consistent with how those concessions would be accounted for under Accounting Standards Codification Topic 842, Leases (“ASC 842”), as though enforceable rights and obligations for those concessions existed (regardless of whether those enforceable rights and obligations for the concessions explicitly exist in the contract). Consequently, for concessions related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, an entity is not required to analyze each contract to determine whether enforceable rights and obligations for concessions exist in the contract and can elect to apply or not apply the lease modification guidance in ASC 842 to those contracts. This election is available for concessions related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that do not result in a substantial increase in the rights of the lessor or the obligations of the lessee.

We have elected to apply this interpretive guidance to the rent relief programs while in effect and have assumed that enforceable rights and obligations for those concessions exist in the lease contract. As such, we recognize reductions in rents arising from the rent relief programs as reductions in variable lease payments, as the rent reductions did not result in a substantial increase in the rights of the lessor or the obligations of the lessee.

Property revenues are comprised primarily of lease income from operating leases and earned income on direct financing leases with franchisees as follows (in millions):


	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2020		2019		2020		2019
Lease income - operating leases
Minimum lease payments	$	112	$	112	$	333	$	335
Variable lease payments	82		100		191		281
Amortization of favorable and unfavorable income lease contracts, net	1		1		4		5
Subtotal - lease income from operating leases	195		213		528		621
Earned income on direct financing leases	1		2		4		7
Total property revenues	$	196	$	215	$	532	$	628

Leases

During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, we offered a rent relief program for eligible TH franchisees in Canada who lease property from us (the “TH rent relief program”) and a rent relief program for eligible BK franchisees in the U.S. and Canada who lease property from us (the “BK rent relief program” and together with the TH rent relief program, the “rent relief programs”), a portion of which concluded during the three months ended September 30, 2020. Under the rent relief programs, we temporarily converted the rent structure from a combination of fixed plus variable rent to 100% variable rent. While in effect, these programs result in a reduction in our property revenues.

In April 2020, the FASB staff issued interpretive guidance that indicated it would be acceptable for entities to make an election to account for lease concessions related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic consistent with how those concessions would be accounted for under Accounting Standards Codification Topic 842, Leases (“ASC 842”), as though enforceable rights and obligations for those concessions existed (regardless of whether those enforceable rights and obligations for the concessions explicitly exist in the contract). Consequently, for concessions related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, an entity is not required to analyze each contract to determine whether enforceable rights and obligations for concessions exist in the contract and can elect to apply or not apply the lease modification guidance in ASC 842 to those contracts. This election is available for concessions related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that do not result in a substantial increase in the rights of the lessor or the obligations of the lessee.

We have elected to apply this interpretive guidance to the rent relief programs while in effect and have assumed that enforceable rights and obligations for those concessions exist in the lease contract. As such, we recognize reductions in rents arising from the rent relief programs as reductions in variable lease payments, as the rent reductions did not result in a substantial increase in the rights of the lessor or the obligations of the lessee.

Property revenues are comprised primarily of lease income from operating leases and earned income on direct financing leases with franchisees as follows (in millions):


	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2020		2019		2020		2019
Lease income - operating leases
Minimum lease payments	$	112	$	112	$	333	$	335
Variable lease payments	82		100		191		281
Amortization of favorable and unfavorable income lease contracts, net	1		1		4		5
Subtotal - lease income from operating leases	195		213		528		621
Earned income on direct financing leases	1		2		4		7
Total property revenues	$	196	$	215	$	532	$	628