This may be a silly question, but why were they paying rent during the pandemic? Almost all non-profits I've talked to stopped paying bills months ago aside from payroll and utilities, figuring it is better to be getting complaints from landlords than to shut down.
Some landlords are not easy to work with. Our non-profit is paying half rent, as thats the best we could get out of them, but it took months for them to come around. They were very clear that if we did not pay they'd invoke the clauses in the rent that incur penalties. We were ready to break the lease and move, but they ended up working with us. Sure, there are no commercial evictions now, but they can always call it late rent when things go back to normal and demand it then.
The USA values money above 100% of other things. In all cases, in all situations. Reading comments on HN over the past 4 years, I've also noticed that's basically what half the people in here are after now too.
That hovering, wobbling, undismissable "we're open" message is rather obnoxious.