For being upset that neighbour did this?

[cherrylola]

This is long sorry!...
My friend is also a close neighbour. She and her DP feed our cat if we are away at weekends (we return the favour and do the same for their cat). We came home earlier than expected today to find our tumble dryer on, house full of steam, soaking wet kitchen floor etc from no ventilation and no power. It turns out the friends had put their washing in our machine because it got wet in the rain on the line. The machine must've tripped the power so our fridge was off (caught it just in time to save contents). So, I figured out it must be their stuff in the machine, checked my phone but no text or anything to ask of they could use it. A couple hours later the DP knocks on door armed with washing basket. Queue awkward oh didn't think you'd be home yet, urm used your machine, washing got wert and we had two loads (so clearly this isn't even the ONLY load they've dried here today!!). Us going uhh yeah we figured that out. He goes down stairs to get stuff and has the cheek to call up stairs and say it's not dry can I put it back on? I'm gobsmacked, DP just awkwardly says 'urm yeah ok'. He buggers off home with a 'I'll be back in an hour then' grinning. Queue the power cutting out. So I text him to tell him to come and get his washing.
I'm totally creeped out. Just how long have they been doing this??? Why didn't they just ask first? It's really freaked me out, what else do they do when they know we aren't home???
There is history, he also took our lawn mower without asking when we were away last summer, broke a part so had to fess up and replace the broken part.
Also, we came home a coupe of months ago to no power and had to chick and entire fridge and freezer's worth of food in the bin (£150 plus waste!). Is it because of them using our machine that the power tripped out!!???!!
I just don't know what to do, feel I have to say something but don't want to cause a falling out but I feel like they have been really creepy and dishonest

Tight people are worth falling out with.

Change the locks, too. They may be going in anytime they know you will be out a while.

God, they're cheeky fuckers and it is SO dangerous to leave a washing machine on in an empty house.

I'd be going round and demanding the key back. In fact I'd have stopped this nonsense when the DH said 'it's not dry can I put it back on?' . 'No, collect your stuff and leave' would not have been an unreasonable response.

If they want to fall out about it then they're not good friends, so I wouldn't worry about that.

tumble dryer

Their using it really wouldn't bother me. If they're close enough friends to have a key to my house, they're welcome to use my facilities while I'm not using them. You need your electrics checked, but I'm not seeing the problem with your friends.

There's always one, isn't there?

Your neighbours have behaved appallingly, sneaking around using your appliances without permission. I understand why you don't want to kick off but I couldn't personally allow myself to be walked over like that. At a minimum I would politely point out that they were fucking outrageous a bit out of order!

The thing is they know it. I would keep as much distance as you can from these users.

That is really cheeky. Get electrics sorted, and think of a way of getting your keys back if they have them.
We have good, but really nosey neighbours. They watch our house while we are away, and vice versa. However, I no longer let them have keys. They would often let slip that they had been in whilst we were away to e.g. look at the colour of the paint, tiles etc in our bathroom, lounge etc. Also other neighbours had spotted them coming out of our house armed with a note pad! Just thought it was a little cheeky.
I once came home early from work to find my mother in law filling herself a bath. Nothing really wrong with that since she did pick the kids up from school. I felt embarrassed for her however, since she hadn't heard me cone in, so I just left!! Crazy i know, but i just felt embarrassed. Came back at "normal" time to find no sign of any bathing, no wet towels, bath wiped dry etc. She would have brought her own towel etc. Nothing was said. I felt that her actions were quite under hand really. If she had asked, she would have been welcome to use anything. It did get me wondering, however about what else she was doing, e.g. using washing machine. I do know that she used to wash her car at ours, and say nothing. She was on a water meter at the time, and we weren't!!
What can you do???

'think of a way of getting your keys back'

Um, just ask for them. I don't see why it needs to be difficult?

Cheekiness abound on this thread I'd be upset too, like others, I wouldn't mind had they asked, but to do so so sneakily is horrendous, especially as it can get bloody expensive to run a tumble drier!

Oh, and go over and get your key before they do make a copy of it, wouldn't put it past them!

Bloody cheeky! We live in a house with two flats next door. The flats have no garden. A couple of years ago, the woman living next door asked if, when we went away on holiday the next week, she could use my washing line as she needed to wash a heavy rug and had nowhere to dry it. Now, that's a good neighbour - makes sure that any borrowing is agreed in advance. For the record, I said, yes she could use the line for all her washing for the next fortnight as we were away and did she need my peg bag?

As long as she didn't damage the washing line, did return all the pegs and her rug didn't blow off and flatten your geraniums...!

I think the neighbours is a bigger issue because OP you can get your electrics fixed and seen to by making a phone call. However approaching your neighbours to either:

Give and excuse about not using dryer as its broken - ok but it doesnt actually convery to them where your boudaries are and breach of trust.

Tell them outright you are 'disappointed' they didn't ask about using things. (Tbh Id really want to bloody tell them the bother they have caused and how annoyed I would be)

Or you can just avoid the issue and make alternative arrangement next time you go away

Do you socialise much with these people?

I would go nuts if somebody used my dryer and left it unattended, even people who live in this house. The thought gives me the utter horrors.

give them the electricians bill when you ho to take back the key.

No one ever has access to our house or is left in it on their own ever. It just strike me how insular we are compared to other peoples arrangements re access to house n home.

Annie nope not always one. 2 more here. Just sitting with my friend and asked her and neither of us would bother either. I often come in and let friends dog out if she is out for a few hours and make a cup of tea or whatever.
The only issue for me would be that they put it on and left it. I'd prefer they stayed and had a cup of tea and waited for it. If you would have said yea anyway I fail to see why it's a big deal. They probably knew you would say yes so did it rather than disturb you on a weekend away.

I must be awful because I don't see this as a big issue at all. It's a dryer! Not the OPs knickers!

What an absolute cheek! Electrics aside, (not dismissing it at all but you're having it checked) this is shocking!

We have an electric meter, the tumble dryer costs a fortune to use and I only use it in an emergency so I'd be pretty pissed about that. If my neighbour had done this I'd be telling her she owes me cash for using it.

andsmile has it. If you're not comfy with things like this then why let people have keys?

YouMake make that three with me! Wouldn't bother me either!

I have a friend who comes to feed our cat and really...I trust him in my home...when he's alone....what would be the issue with him using my dryer ffs?

youmake, asking is just polite. It doesn't matter whether the OP would have said yes anyway.

Making a cup of tea is a bit different to using a tumble dryer (not to mention leaving it unattended). And the husband clearly knew he was in the wrong, by his shifty 'oh didn't think you'd be home yet' reaction.

Oh and it wouldn't matter if it was only a couple of quid. My electricity is precious in my house. I'm very careful as I'm on a metre.

But he's saving them £ on cattery fees. Why be so mean over it?

If you're not comfy with things like this then why let people have keys?

Because it's not unreasonable to assume that people will NOT use expensive resources without asking, or endanger your whole house by leaving electrical items unattended.