[Maestro]

Op,

I see you are in Calif, and I know since I lived out there and had a rental property there as well. I never managed it, I let someone else do it since renters tended to take advantage of owners if you deal with them directly. Anyway, I was not joking about pregnant and kids it is virtually impossible to evict a single mom, the courts never want to be known to have tossed a single mom.

I would have to agree she trying to scam you somehow, but you called her bluff when you found new tenants. I guaranty you she will claim she signed the lease termination under direst and any contract sign under direst is void.

Lesson learned here, if you want to manage your own property never ever let the renter know you are the owner. You should set up an LLC and operate in under that and when you engage renters you are only the poor manager of the property and you have no clue who the owner actually is. Renter tend not to try and take on a company with no face or at least make threats that is for sure.

I am not sure what you can do in this case other than make it difficult for her to stay. I hope your rental agreement has statement about it her responsibility for all the up keep and maintenance of the home and the appliance are not include in the rental they are only on loan and if they break she has to find her own replacements.

FYI, the friend who managed my property would interview people who were interested in my place, she would also visit their current resident and talk to the neighbors and landlord or manager to see if there were any issues and if she could she would peek into the window of their place. I never had a single problem with tenants nor did I ever rent to any one with kids.