The current landlord took over in 2002 - that's 12 years. In that time he could have first tried asking her, second tried making her feel guilty and or befriend

The current landlord took over in 2002 - that's 12 years. In that time he could have first tried asking her, second tried making her feel guilty and or befriending her to get her to leave. His financial situation could have degraded, he could have come up with the idea or needed connection, and he could have built up the resolve to actually do it. I'm not saying I think it's certain, I don't even think it's more likely than not. However, I think it's suspicious enough that it would be worth it to look into and rule things out.