Office supplies retailer Staples is refusing to pay April rent on all of its U.S. stores, according to a report by Axios.

Staples has reached out to multiple landlords within the past 72 hours to inform them rent will not be paid and payment will not be deferred, the report says.

Staples is considered an essential business and has been allowed to remain open during the coronavirus pandemic.

There are currently 66 Staples stores in New Jersey, according to the company’s website.

The Axios report quotes one of Staples’ landlords who claims the company is “taking advantage of a crisis” because commercial landlords are not allowed to evict tenants during the coronavirus pandemic.

A Staples’ spokeswoman declined to comment.

The Cheesecake Factory has also told landlords nationwide it won’t pay April rent on any of its near-300 properties because of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Nicolette Accardi can be reached at naccardi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter: @N_Accardi. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips