Renting a property without garage

[Shaun T.]

Hi all, 

A new landlord here! I have a tenant who is really upset that he won't be allowed to use the garage. I have always been very clear that only the house is being rented and not the garage because I plan to turn the garage into the ADU (plans are in permitting by the city of Anaheim). He agreed to it but now he says he never agreed to it.

My other mistake is to let him move in without signing the lease.  Yes, I should be flogged in public for this one, but he needed to move right away and he claimed to be not very familiar with emails so he didn't sign the lease that I had send via Zillow Rentals platform.

Now he wants to move out - which is fine -- but what forms/documents should have him sign to get all of this on record?  The biggest concern is to get him out of the house as soon as possible.

Any guidance is appreciated ... and yes I realize all the mistakes I made while trying to be a landlord. I just need to find ways to recover from them.

Thanks ... Shaun Bob

[John Teachout]

If he doesn't have a signed lease, then just have him leave. I assume he paid move in fees like first/last month's rent, security deposit and so forth? If so, after he leaves, just prorate for the time he was there and start over. Develop your procedures and stick to them next time. Urgency on the tenant's part is never a reason to circumvent your processes.