I had issues with this as a kid... my sister was notorious for showering without the vent on to create a steam bath.

The use must be open, visible and notorious so the owner can easily find out about the use. 

Do not under any circumstances agree to let them stay another day after lease term vacate notice date, or "YOU GET TO START ALL OVER".Tenants are notorious for bogus claims and some are really good at living for free.

CA is notoriously tenant friendly and many local entities add even more tenant friendly laws.

I will say, however, PMs are notoriously very difficult to deal with.

And HOAs are notorious for changing the rules down the road, as in they may decide that they won't allow any more rentals.  

It is possible and legal to honestly say that the owner is absent and you are renting the property until he or she returns.Though Adverse Possession law is not clear to the average person, nor to the average investor, the very website that you linked in a comment above, does provide an answer to your own challenges (except for your unnecessary claim that renting an abandoned property means pretending to own it).Sue you have linked to - http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/adve...Under the “Elements” paragraph of that link it is clear our laws recognize that “nonpermissive use by the adverse claimant that is actual, open and notorious, exclusive, hostile, and continuous for the statutory period” can “ripen into legal title”.  

Write up a contract that they get a flat fee, or they do what you don't want to do for a reasonable fee.PMCs are notorious for nickle and diming you do death on all kinds of fees and "emergency" repairs. 

Construction is a notoriously unstable source of income.

They're notorious.