Garage rented for storage tenants no lease and tenants late in payments

[dwileone]

I am a single mother. For extra needed income I rented out my garage for storage for $300.00/mo.

The first problem is the tenants are always late on rent. I have to beg for it each month. It is 9/6/09 and still no payment.

The second issue is I sold the house. Neither of us can locate the lease and the new owners to be will not honor the lease without a copy. Without a lease to determine the actual conditions can I give them 30 days notice to evict? What are my options? I would like them to move as to not slow my closing which is in approx 30 days, mid Oct.

Also can I turn the electric off to the garage for non payment. I pay the utility bill.

 

[Gail_in_Georgia]

Your have several options..

You can begin the process of eviction based on nonpayment of rent (and following the laws of your particular state).

or

Considering neither you nor the tenants can find the lease, they can assumed to have a "tenancy at will" or be month to month renters. In other words, their lease begins the first day of the month and ends the last day. In most states, all that is required to terminate such a lease is a 30 day written notice by either party (my state of Georgia requires that as a landlord provide 60 days notice).

I'd begin this process first as it doesn't cost any money to do this. If they do not respond to this demand your next step to to file for an actual evictin.

As to whether you can turn the electricty off to the garage...that depends. In the case where a tenant is actually living in the rental unit, a landlord cannot do that. Storage MAY be a different story UNLESS electricity is required for things like a refrigerator or freezed.

Gail