He looked straight at the audience and said, the best guide to future behavior is past behavior.

Remember that they are at their best behavior in the application process.

So in other words you are rewarding bad behavior, and then when they come to us, we have to deal with it.  

If the tenant is not expecting to see me on their doorstep, they are also not prepared to cover-up their rule breaking behavior.

To give her money, would be a reward for bad behavior.

So if it were me, I would give the tenants the benefit of the doubt.I am a car salesman by trade and student of human behavior and it sounds like these tenants have the same problem that many children do when they are not met with firm boundaries: They are doing whatever they want.As the new owner, you have the fantastic opportunity to lay down the law in a way that the current owner (who sounds like a terrible businessman) really can't (not that he would anyway).Just like a new babysitter has an opportunity to lay down the ground rules with kids who were previously unruly, you can sit down with each tenant with a properly drafted lease and have a very serious discussion.

It is vital that you set the tone that this kind of behavior is not going to be tolerated, you're not their friend or mother.

Because of the behavior of the occupants you believe that this could reoccur. 

This behavior has been preventing me from securing a new tenant.A lawyer is held to a higher standard of behavior with regard to interfering with a person's ability to conduct business. 

It has been 6days of this behavior.