Watch CBS News

Twitter sued for nonpayment of over $136,000 in rent on its San Francisco office

Twitter is being sued for nonpayment of $136,260 in rent on its San Francisco office, according to court papers filed Thursday in San Francisco State Court.

The landlord of the building, Columbia Reit - 650 California LLC, alerted the social media giant that it would default on its rent if payment was not received by Dec. 21. Twitter currently occupies the 30th floor of the Hartford Building, a skyscraper located on the edge of San Francisco's Financial District. 

Twitter signed a seven-year lease for the office space in 2017.

Since acquiring Twitter for $44 billion in October, its new owner, Elon Musk, has taken drastic measures to cut company costs.

Twitter did not respond to a request from CBS News for comment.  

Twitter account of Elon Musk
The Twitter account of Elon Musk is displayed on a smartphone with a Twitter logo in the background. Nathan Stirk / Getty Images

The platform has allegedly not paid rent on any of its global offices in weeks, including its San Francisco headquarters in the city's Civic Center, according to reporting by The New York Times.

The company is also being sued by Private Jet Services Group, LLC, which is alleging that Twitter has refused to pay for two charter flights in October, valued at $197,725. The suit was filed in New Hampshire District Court last month.

Since Musk took over Twitter earlier this year, he has implemented a number of changes in addition to cost-cutting measures, including laying off half of the workforce and ending enforcement of COVID-19 misinformation rules. Last month, he announced he would step down as CEO when he finds someone to replace him  — a decision that came after conducting a Twitter poll. 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.