Yup, I think she has her sofa set up that way because of where the TV cable/outlet is situated. If she moved the longest part of the sofa somewhere else in the room, if it'll even fit anywhere else, it wouldn't be sitting directly in front of the TV. Unless of course she wants cords running all over the room, which I doubt. I think that outlet can be moved but not without an electrician, the cable guy and someone who knows how to patch drywall.
Bottom line, her sofa is just too big for that room. That's something most people take into consideration before saying "yes, we'll take it" when looking for a place to rent. They visualize and ask themselves "Will my furniture fit in here?"
As someone said above, it's only a matter of time before she buys a new sofa anyway. Thats still not going to remedy the awkward floor plan of the house but at least with a smaller sofa the kids will have more room to move around in the living room- or should I say "dining room" as she called it in her **accident with mad rush to ER for stitches just waiting to happen** 'Farmhouse Coffee Table' video. Ugh, when I look at that coffee table all I can see is a gaping wound. No thank you! And yes, I'm a bit of a paranoid mama but better safe than sorry.