Are there any exceptions for getting a tenant thrown out in NYC? [View all]

[Polybius]

Some backstory. It's a three bedroom apartment, and my friend had been living there for several years. The rent was always split three ways, and my friend has had pretty good roommates, who have come and gone. The roommates have never known each other. The landlord for whatever reason, rents to roommates, rather than a family who knows each other.

So one of my friend's roommates is a meth addict. He kept saying crazy stuff to my friend, such as "I can see through your walls, I'm part of MKULTRA." He hasn't paid rent since the first month he moved in (August), and the cops were routinely there. My friend insisted he was getting secondhand high somehow, and just moved in with his father. His other roommate (a good guy) moved out right before him, with the same fears as my friend. The meth addict continues to live there, now with the entire three bedroom house to himself.

The landlord will not be able to replace my friend or the other roommate who moved out, since there is an active addict in the next room (who's gonna want to move in like that?). So now the landlord is out all of the rent. My friend continued to pay his part of the rent, as did the other good roommate who moved out, despite being very uncomfortable, worrying about the addict stealing his stuff and meth smoke going into their rooms. A crack pipe was also found in the living room once, left broken on the floor.

So is there anything the landlord can do? He begged my friend not to move out, but he didn't want to stay there any longer, fearing his life.