If you know someone renting your home moved an extra person in but when you confront your tenant they deny it and say they come once in a while but don’t actually live there but you know they do.

If you were covering the utilities in a multi, and if you had a price difference between x occupants vs x + 1, then you might just raise the rent at the next rent increase to be your x + 1 rate, no explanation necessary, nothing to see, just an ordinary rent increase, yup...

If it's a sfh, I usually ask for the new person to fill out an application so that I know who's occupying the premises. If it's someone I know is Bad News, I'll put my foot down and say Absolutely Not. (I run into this problem when I have women coming to flee their abusers... but then want to invite their abusers back into their lives and under their roofs 3-6 months down the road.)

Included in the "use & occupancy clause" of my rental agreement.

"If Landlord has reason to believe that there is an unauthorized occupant, the burden will be on Tenant to produce proof of this occupant's residency elsewhere."

This can be done by them producing (quickly - short deadline) a current utility bill or rental agreement in the person's name at another address.

You put it on THEM to prove this person lives elsewhere, not on YOU to prove they live at your unit.

3 ways to skin a cat!

1) Knowing from my tenants applications, I know the vehicles that belong on or near the property.

Then I'll find parked on the property or in nearby the same vehicle that the person goes to my

rental. Then I pay someone to take pictures of the car parked on the street or property.

2) I read the water, power and gas meters and see extra use meaning someone else in in the rental.

3) I set up a trail camera to snap pictures upon any motion. Then I review the memory.

4) I look at the magazines left on the porch or IN THE TRASH and find things with my properties address listed to a different resident, someone unknown.

Lifted DJ's language verbatim and plopped it right in my lease next to the line:

Permitted Occupants: [NUMBER] in addition to named Renter(s). If Housing Provider has reason to believe that there is an unauthorized occupant, the burden will be on Renter to produce proof of residency elsewhere.

Mike,

I like Blonde’s process. Just move forward and let them defend.

Our local Sec8 office makes them prove they have other permanent housing with a lease, utility bills, mail delivered to that address...

In real life I don’t worry about this. I’m all for additional rents but I have bigger fish to fry. We have some margin built into water usage. Some extra showers will not affect my bottom line.

BRAD

It may not be worth the trip to court, non renewal at lease end may be your best method to deal with this tenant.

...About 10 years ago I learned from a sec8 inspector to photo and count the toothbrushes,...

You are in a tough spot- short of camping out and becoming a stalker, you really can't without making this into a he said she said issue. So go ahead and ask them - how often is ________________ spending the night?