If the tenant fails to do so, he said, the landlord should then terminate the lease and start an action for eviction in civil court.

That means that if the subtenant stops paying rent, the original tenant must bring an action for eviction against the subtenant to recover possession of the apartment.

Mr. Kucker added that the landlord should make certain that access to the front entrance is not obstructed by loitering tenants - a situation that would warrant an action for eviction.

A. Paul M. Gulielmetti, a Manhattan real estate lawyer, said that while the owner could always start an action for eviction, it would be up to the court to determine whether that claim was valid.

If the rent remains unpaid at the end of the three days, Mr. Brill said, the landlord can then file an action for eviction in the Housing Part of the Supreme Court, and can typically add to the amount due from the tenant the various other costs and fees provided for in the lease.