Now I am sure you are pulling permits , and since he is living there at the same time , there is the cert of occupancy thats only issued when done .  

Besides attending to the myriad of questions, requests, and issues with tenants and the property, a good PM will provide liability protection with legal knowledge, asset protection with a tight lease, and increased ROI with simply smart management. 

Lastly in some areas, Maryland for example, if a property owner redeems, they must reimburse your legal fees.

This house is outside city limits so no permits needed.

Also, if you can, get a second job or some kind of side hustle (legal of course, like cleaning common areas, cutting hair, cleaning homes, etc.) and use that money solely for paying of debt OR saving for a down-payment, making sure you put it in a high-yield savings account, so it can grow interest while it sits in there......no taking anything out of it. 

Do not rely on it for legal advice.

You'll need real permits and the whole bit. 

I would find a JV form on here and agree to terms and then spend a few hundered dollars getting a lawyer to do make it official and legal for your state.

Some jurisdictions require more/different permitting if you're altering the stairs.

Lots of questions about land, permits, sewage, and the basics.