Grand Rapids Tenant Advice

[Jerry Westhoff]

I finally closed on my first duplex in Grand Rapids, MI.  The property currently has tenants upstairs.  The lease that I inherited does not list anything about access to the basement.  The tenants do have access to the basement though because they have a ton of junk down there.

My question is can I ask them to remove all of their items from the basement and change the locks to eliminate their access to the basement?  

Also can I ask them not to park in the driveway?  

Lastly, the house has a front porch and a back porch on the lower level.  The upper tenants access door is on the back porch.  They have made a mess on the back porch by attempting to grow plants out there and they are all dead and scattered everywhere.  Can I eliminate their use of the back porch?

The lease unfortunately does not cover these items so I am unsure about handling the situation.

Thanks,

-Jerry

[Carlos Enriquez]

You could tell them that the basement is a separate unit in and of itself and is not included in their current lease, but if they want the space, you will have to sign a different month to month arrangement for it (to coincide with their lease expiration date), and that it will be extra rental.  They can move their stuff to storage if they choose, so that you can have access to it asap.  I think that if there is no language in the lease about using the basement, then they are squatting their stuff there and you have the right to clean it out.

If your gut tells you that they will give you a problem, then let the lease run out and change things afterwards.  Sometime avoiding headaches is ok if you're patient.