TenantOnDrugs
New Member
Hi I really need some help with Landlord Advice-
I'm a single professional female. I bought a large 25,000 SF property in LA suburb last year. It has a main home & a beautiful fully remodeled Guest Unit w big LR, a BR & beautiful bath w Rain shower, large patio, gazebo etc, laundry room if he wanted to bring W&D etc. all are permitted. There was a kitchen that was torn out before I bought the house in 2014 bc is was non permitted. Now it has no kitchen, only a fridge on a huge beautiful covered patio, private yard etc.
After a year I decided to rent the fully furnished guest unit. It was just a month & a half ago. I rented it as "Guest Unit with no kitchen, no smoking inside or out. It has a fridge only. I rented it to a guy that said he wanted " a retreat to get away from him GF, that has a food truck. He said he "cooked all day everyday & would never ever cook there he wd likely just do paperwork & sleep there so he said it was perfect". He signed the agreement that said NO kitchen.
He loved it so much he wanted a years lease, said he had moved like 5x in 10 months & wanted to settle down. His credit was just mediocre but he 'seemed' nice (wrong!). To be on the safe side I decided to go w a M2M that clearly states the unit has no kitchen. I let him use my kitchen a few times that he asked and offered to buy an outdoor sink if he decided to get a grill. He never got a grill.
I include maid Svc, and a few weeks ago my maid noted that the unit reeked like drugs. He must have been smoking loads of pot in all the rooms! Again it's my almost new and nice furniture. (New windows, new floors, paint, Z Gallerie velvet sofa, brand new custom drapes, new bed & mattress etc) . So I texted him about what the maid said and told him as he had agreed smoking drugs or any smoking was NOT allowed in lease. He admitted to it and said he would stop. (I have the text messages)
So a week or so after he texts me he is "moving at the end of the month & can he get his deposit back?" I texted him sure but w a 30 day notice not 10 days. Then he calls me and claimed he needs to move bc "he might have colon cancer, was closing his food truck & moving back to MI". I thought it over & decided the whole thing was odd so I asked him for the 30 day notice in writing.
Next thing I know he's suddenly claiming unit is "uninhabitable and he can move wo notice & he has reported me to building & safety for no kitchen sink" So much for the fake colon cancer! I called the city Friday but the inspectors were gone. The woman I spoke to said if lease said no kitchen in the lease it should be ok. But she asked, how is it zoned? I said I'm not sure, but most of the homes in the area are on 1/4 - 1/2 acre lots & have GH & rent them. She said call back Tuesday and talk to inspector...( that's tomorrow)
Can anyone please help me with what's really legal? Clearly this loser is trying to scam me! Can I legally rent the Guest unit at all w/o and R2 and is it legal w/o a kitchen as agreement states? I'm worried the guy does this for a living and just sues landlords to get free rent and $$$ and that's why he moves so much!
Please Help!!
I'm a single professional female. I bought a large 25,000 SF property in LA suburb last year. It has a main home & a beautiful fully remodeled Guest Unit w big LR, a BR & beautiful bath w Rain shower, large patio, gazebo etc, laundry room if he wanted to bring W&D etc. all are permitted. There was a kitchen that was torn out before I bought the house in 2014 bc is was non permitted. Now it has no kitchen, only a fridge on a huge beautiful covered patio, private yard etc.
After a year I decided to rent the fully furnished guest unit. It was just a month & a half ago. I rented it as "Guest Unit with no kitchen, no smoking inside or out. It has a fridge only. I rented it to a guy that said he wanted " a retreat to get away from him GF, that has a food truck. He said he "cooked all day everyday & would never ever cook there he wd likely just do paperwork & sleep there so he said it was perfect". He signed the agreement that said NO kitchen.
He loved it so much he wanted a years lease, said he had moved like 5x in 10 months & wanted to settle down. His credit was just mediocre but he 'seemed' nice (wrong!). To be on the safe side I decided to go w a M2M that clearly states the unit has no kitchen. I let him use my kitchen a few times that he asked and offered to buy an outdoor sink if he decided to get a grill. He never got a grill.
I include maid Svc, and a few weeks ago my maid noted that the unit reeked like drugs. He must have been smoking loads of pot in all the rooms! Again it's my almost new and nice furniture. (New windows, new floors, paint, Z Gallerie velvet sofa, brand new custom drapes, new bed & mattress etc) . So I texted him about what the maid said and told him as he had agreed smoking drugs or any smoking was NOT allowed in lease. He admitted to it and said he would stop. (I have the text messages)
So a week or so after he texts me he is "moving at the end of the month & can he get his deposit back?" I texted him sure but w a 30 day notice not 10 days. Then he calls me and claimed he needs to move bc "he might have colon cancer, was closing his food truck & moving back to MI". I thought it over & decided the whole thing was odd so I asked him for the 30 day notice in writing.
Next thing I know he's suddenly claiming unit is "uninhabitable and he can move wo notice & he has reported me to building & safety for no kitchen sink" So much for the fake colon cancer! I called the city Friday but the inspectors were gone. The woman I spoke to said if lease said no kitchen in the lease it should be ok. But she asked, how is it zoned? I said I'm not sure, but most of the homes in the area are on 1/4 - 1/2 acre lots & have GH & rent them. She said call back Tuesday and talk to inspector...( that's tomorrow)
Can anyone please help me with what's really legal? Clearly this loser is trying to scam me! Can I legally rent the Guest unit at all w/o and R2 and is it legal w/o a kitchen as agreement states? I'm worried the guy does this for a living and just sues landlords to get free rent and $$$ and that's why he moves so much!
Please Help!!
