AIBU to think that if you are offered free holiday accomodation, then you at least stick to the rules?

[TheKitchenWitch]

I am so annoyed!
It's not unreasonable to assume that if someone has let you use their holiday accomodation at cost only, no profit (less than twenty quid a week) and specifically asked you not to use the ac because it is broken and has leaked causing major wall damage in the past, then you just don't fucking use the air conditioning, do you? You make do with the (perfectly adequate) ceiling fans.
We have for the first time this year let various friends and family use the place, and I've just heard from the neighbouring flat that there is water coming through their wall, which means that someone has indeed used the ac.

I obviously can't tell which of the visitors it was, though I have a very strong suspicion I know.

I am really, really annoyed. I told every single person going down there NOT to switch it on , and I told them why. I even made a fucking document with all the information they needed on it including, IN WRITING, not to use the air con.

AAAARRRGGGHHHHH.

How annoying. But in the words of another mnetter

Trust nae fucker.

Could you take off the plug/remove the fuse?

I'd have removed the fuse or plug rather than trust people to follow instructions.

Can you send a round robin to all that have used it 'hope you all had a good time yada yada - I see someone managed to get the Air Con working again, how did you do it?' and then wait until someone goes 'huh, it wasn't working when we tried it, we switched it on and nada'. Type thing? Then bill those twats for the damage done.

Not good friends are they, they have now cost you money to do wall repairs.
I'd message the lot of them and say what has happened.
They may have thought you were being stingy with electric refusing to allow the use of the A/C.

If you know its broken so it would leak, are absolutely 100% certain it couldn't deteriorate further and leak when not in use? I'm not an expert obviously, but I'd be checking that was impossible before assuming it was my friends/relatives.

Tell each of them that the ac was used, damaged was caused to the neighbours wall, That engineers are looking at the damage and will be able to pinpoint when the ac unit was used but that it will take a while. In the meantime you'll operate an honesty box policy that if they did use the ac despite all of your instructions, then to make sure they contributed money to help rectify the damage that has been done.

Add that you won't make the mistake of letting others use your holiday home again.

Nah, I won't be doing any of that because they are all friends and family, and those that didn't use it would feel utterly mortified, and those that did wouldn't admit it, especially if it's who I think it is.
They are essentially covering their own bills, so it's nothing to do with being stingy. I TOLD THEM why not to use it.

It wasn't leaking in June, when the neighbours were there last, and now in August it is. We've had people in there since July.

I'm going to sort it out when I go down there, either get rid of it or get it properly repaired so it can be used. It was not mine before, and my parents just told us not to use the ac so we didn't. Because, you know, THAT'S WHAT YOU DO.

I just don't understand how someone decides to completely ignore something like that.

Even if it turned out to be exactly who I think it is, i still couldn't charge them because I was letting them have it as a thank you for their mum doing me a favour (the mum didn^t want to go down herself but asked if they could instead iyswim).
I'm hoping the building insurance will cover the costs.

It was not mine before, and my parents just told us not to use the ac so we didn't. Because, you know, THAT'S WHAT YOU DO.

So how long hadn't it worked?
Surely you either disable, get rid of or fix?

Indeed, disable. Remove the fuse etc.

Sorry that you have been so let down by these people :(

I will look into either getting it fixed properly or getting it removed, but for the moment, I've just gone along with what my parents told me - it's not working, please don't use it. They had one guest use it and it leaked out onto the neighbour's wall. Since then, they were very wary of letting anyone use the place, and I'm beginning to understand why!

Why they didn't do anything about the ac unit I don't know. It's not really necessary to even have it (it came as part of the flat), most places there aren't air conditioned.

But regardless, I still don't understand why, if someone tells you please don't use a certain thing, you would go ahead and use it anyway. It's not like I said don't use the toilet, or shower!