Concerns for criminal activity by tenant

[Rona Kinney]

I have a 3 unit property in Southern California. Recently I was informed that the police had come to the property looking for the son of one of the tenants. Naturally the other tenants are very concerned about safety as am I. I don’t know what it was about but the police told the other tenants to stay away from him. However, when I asked the mother about it, she just said that he witnessed something and wanted a statement from him. I’m worried she may just be covering up for him. She is very nice and has had good communication however, she has been late on the rent several times. Fortunately she always paid the late fee without having to be prompted or reminded. Another problem is the tenants complain about the high school friends of her kids coming over playing loud music. Basically the mother seems to be a decent tenant but her kids are the main problem. She isn’t home much because she is a single mother and works like crazy to make ends meet. I want to help her out by letting her stay but I don’t know what I can do about the kids. I am also considering not renewing her lease when the year is up because the other 2 tenants are excellent so I would hate to lose them over this. Legally, how can I evict her based upon the above details, if that is even possible?