Sticky situation with tenants

[Peter Janis]

Hi guys -

I made the classic mistake of taking people's word and not properly screening tenants - so now I have a situation going on. I've got an unmarried couple on a lease. They have broken up and some abuse has now gone on. The man had a restraining order placed against him from the woman, he came back to the house, and the police arrested him. He should be getting out of jail soon, but the woman has now gotten a second restraining order against him that is set to expire on December 14. She is nervous about him coming back again. He apparently doesn't want to leave, and neither does she. She wants me to get him off the lease or evict him. She's been good to work with and has been a great tenant otherwise. I spoke with a lawyer briefly today who recommends I should let things play out for now.

So I'm looking for advice on what to do. If I chose to evict I assume you cant just evict one and not the other.. Is there a way to cancel the lease if I could speak with the man and convince him to leave? Or just wait this out and hope that the man doesn't come back? Im just lost really. They've always paid and have been good but now we've got problems. I also have a single female tenant upstairs. Any advice? I'd really appreciate it I just don't know what to do.