All it takes is one tenant who knows their rights or calls Legal Aid.When this might be legal (very narrow scenarios)There are only a few situations where taking possession without eviction court is defensible:Clear abandonment, documented thoroughlyNo belongingsUtilities offWritten surrenderKeys returnedSquatters with no tenancy established, and even this is increasingly contestedPost-eviction lockout, after a sheriff executes a writWhat you described does not fit these categories if there is a valid lease.Why people still talk about itThis “service” persists because:It sometimes works when tenants are unsophisticatedTenants don’t always fight backEnforcement is complaint-drivenBut when it fails, it fails badly.This is survivorship bias, not legality.The correct play in CaliforniaIf the tenant has a lease:Serve proper notice (pay or quit, cure or quit, etc.)File unlawful detainerLet the sheriff handle possessionIf timing or cash flow is the issue:Cash-for-keys, properly documented, is far saferVoluntary surrender agreements work if done correctlyMediation often resolves faster than courtThis is not a gray area for landlords.It’s only gray for people willing to gamble on tenants not fighting back.If someone is offering this as a “service,” they are shifting all legal risk to you, not them.

There is also 2 apt behind in rent but I think they want to surrender the place but are trying to find a new place.

Are the mobile homes attached to the ground and affixation/Surrendered the Title.

Vladimir, If a tenant vacates without notice and leaves personal property behind, you generally do not need to file an eviction if they have clearly surrendered possession.

And some folks are surrendering (GVA ?

The borrower could have filed a 13 wanting to reorganize and keep the property (Or surrender!

No government will simply surrender or make any show of fighting fair when threatened to such a degree.

“Whenever any person obtains possession of premises without the consent of the owner or other person having the right to give said possession, he or she shall be deemed a tenant by sufferance merely, and shall be liable to pay reasonable rent for the actual time he or she occupied the premises, and shall forthwith on demand surrender his or her said possession to the owner or person who had the right of possession before said entry, and all his or her right to possession of said premises shall terminate immediately upon said demand.”

Often the fastest/cheapest path—just document it well (mutual release, surrender of keys/possession, condition photos).Assignment of claims: If there’s significant arrearage, get an assignment (often low recovery odds, but it’s leverage).No-offset clause on the seller note—missed rents aren’t an excuse to miss your payment, so you need the holdback above.Extension option on your 2-year seller-finance balloon if occupants aren’t out by Month 18 (e.g., one 6–12 month extension for a pre-set fee).

You don’t need to evict if the unit is clearly surrendered.If the family removed all belongings, returned the keys, and the tenant is clearly not coming back, that’s legally considered abandonment/surrender in most states.