[fintstone]

Can't read the initial article because it is behind a pay wall...but it seems to me that being a landlord in CA is difficult due to laws favoring tenants and rent controls. IMHO, that is what often creates problems like this. If a person is getting market rent, there is no reason to evict them. Simply rent something else at the market rate for your personal use.

I am doing similar. I have a rental (house I used to live in) in an area where I want a vacation home. There is a family in it paying a market rate. They are reasonably good tenants and have kids in school. Because of that, I just extended their lease another year...and am looking for another house to buy (or possibly rent) in the same area (although it would have been easier to just not renew the lease or increase the rent so much that they would leave). It is a wash and will add an additional investment. When the rental is available again, I can stay where I am and rent it again...or rent out the new purchase and move from it to the vacant rental (whichever I prefer).

I have no obligation to rent out property where I lose money...or make less than the market will bear. That is the only way I can provide affordable rentals (And often lose money for many years on a property before it makes me money). Older properties (to me) often fund losing newer ones. It is not up to me to fund housing for others beyond that. If others want something different, they are welcome to take tenants into their homes or help my tenants pay their market rent. I treat my tenants fairly and keep my houses in better repair than the one I live in...and often rent slightly below market to good tenants (for my own advantage..to keep them). Many tenants...even long-term ones...seem to have no problem not returning the favor and damage my properties and don't fulfill their leases. Some are outraged when rents go up, even though they often don't even cover costs of annual tax and insurance increases...much less damage they do.