You can visit the Housing Court’s Help Center and speak to one of the court lawyers about the proceeding you would like to start. The court provides owners with a free booklet of instructions. You will need to purchase the legal forms used in the case. To start a nonpayment case, you will need to complete the forms, purchase an index number from the court, serve the tenant and file the papers with the court clerk. You will get a postcard informing you of the date for your first hearing. In a holdover, you will need to complete the papers, file them with the clerk and purchase an index number, and then serve the tenant. You will choose a date for the first hearing when you file the papers. The Housing Court offers a Do It Yourself (DIY) computer program in the courts and on the court website that helps prepare papers for nonpayment cases and roommate holdovers.