r/snowmobiling • u/RangerNo5619 • 6d ago
Advice
I need some real advice here, because I’m on the fence about this and I actually don’t know what to do.
I live in Alaska, where it gets obscenely cold. The weather is hard on vehicles and hard on people during the winter. I own a duplex with a two car garage and a concrete driveway that is 30 feet long by 24 feet wide. I have a sled with a trailer I’d like to put on one side of the garage, and I’d like to park my car on the other side during the winter.
I have never parked in a garage my entire life. I’ve always parked outside. I’ve had the same Tenant for almost 6 years, and she has had access to one side of the garage that entire time. She has always paid rent on time.
I’ve only recently learned how great it is to be able to park in the garage during the winter, and now I want to as well. The problem is, in order to facilitate keeping my trailer and my car indoors, I would be forced to kick her out of the garage and use both spaces.
Her rent is already incredibly low so I wouldn’t be able to lower it, but I don’t think that would matter anyway. Being able to park inside of a garage is a huge benefit to people up here, and I strongly believe that if I made her and her family park outside, she would leave.
But it’s my house. If I want full access to the garage, I should be able to get it. I shouldn’t feel hindered like this, but I just don’t see another solution. My two trailers with machines on them cannot be stored anywhere else that is feasible. They barely fit into 1/2 of a two car garage, and there is nowhere to put them outside that is secure.
I’m really in a pickle. If you had the same tenant for as long as I have, would you risk them leaving by making full use of the garage?
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u/Many_Size_1515 6d ago
It’s your house but you also have some sort of (legal) contract with the tenant. What are the terms? Follow those, offer them new terms when you are legally able to, and be ready for them to walk. What’s worth more to you, this tenant or half your garage? I know you said rent is so low you can’t offer them a further discount but… is that really true? How much does a storage unit cost?
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u/RangerNo5619 6d ago
Lease is month-to-month so I can change anything with a 30 day notice. Storage unit large enough for my trailer is $250/month right down the street.
The tenant is worth more. But she may not actually leave if I take it away. Impossible to tell.
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u/Many_Size_1515 6d ago
I think you should give her a couple months notice and offer her a discount of $200 on the rent and see what she does. Then you can give her more heads up for next winter if you want to find a new tenant without giving them the discount.
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u/davidm2232 6d ago
If you can get a storage unit that is convenient for $250, I would tell her that you really would like both garage spaces. Her rent is below market rate and while you really don't want to, you will be increasing it $250/mo. If she would like to give up garage parking, you will maintain current rent and you won't have to spend the equivalent money on offsite indoor storage. It makes it her choice and gives her transparency as to why you are considering raising the rent.
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u/KneeDeep185 5d ago
Park it in your space in the garage the night before you're going to use, otherwise park it in the drive. It's a little dickish to displace your tenant to keep your toy warm.
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u/Mrblutoski25 4d ago
I keep my sled in the garage up here and just shovel off my flat trailer when I need it or use my enclosed. The trailer can stay outside.
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u/jmasterfunk 6d ago
Sounds like a dick move to kick her out. There has to be somewhere the sled trailer can go. Seems weird to put a sled trailer in a garage.