Barton's representatives had no immediate response. The landlord wants Barton to pay the rent and legal fees.
The 23-year-old Barton also lives in Los Angeles. The lawsuit filed Thursday says her one-year lease on the Manhattan apartment began in September.
At the time, she was in "The Beautiful Life," a CW series about the New York modeling world. The show was canceled in September.
Barton rose to fame playing Marissa Cooper on Fox's teen drama "The O.C.".