Can he now charge me rent?

Based upon your description, essentially and the assumption that you are in Ontario and the rental space is in Ohio, not the other way around, you have a month-to-month sublease from him for the space for free.  He is giving you a gift, once a month.  Because he told you that you could use the space, you shouldn't have assumed that that would be for eternity. He has now changed the terms, or is at least trying to do so.  Using an analysis as a sublease, and believing that the space in in Ohio (I don't know Canadian law) he has the right to terminate your leasehold agreement, but has to give you at least one "period" notice.  So, he needs to give you a month's notice that the rules are different.  You have an argument that because of your location out of the country that he needs to give you more notice, but I don't really think much of that position. Now, it is your choice.  Do you want to stay there or move the things you have stored into another space?  Again, based on this analysis and the fact that you have no "writing" (you say nothing was signed, I assume that that means that nothing was sent by email or otherwise, even if not signed). It sounds like you need to get our of that storage space, collect the money that is owed to you and go on with your separate lives.