THIS IS NONSENSICAL

I understand your point, but you are being a tad too logical. I know how difficult it is to remove tenants in certain jurisdictions (like New York City, where I live) under certain circumstances (nature of tenancy). I am generally pro-tenant also, by the way, as that is what my parents and I are and will always be.

But my best friend has a rental property. The building is rent-regulated. One of his tenants owes three months rent and refuses to allow him to make repairs, so when he takes her to housing court, she gets some jerk judge to rule in her favor, gets a "one-time" welfare payment to cover the rent, refuses to allow him to make the repairs and it all starts over again. A month to month (non-lease) tenancy is different as is the entire system depending on the jurisdiction (city, state, etc.)

Getting back to the silliness of the TV movie plot, there is no indication that the unwanted houseguest in "Ties That Bind" signed a lease or is subject to any rent regulations, so the comparison is likely invalid, but I get your point.