Air conditioners put back in by guests

[Laura2327]

I could use some advice, please! My husband painstakingly took out our 4 x bedroom window ac units last week because it’s now the fall here in Vermont and we were having temps in the 30s at night. We made sure each bedroom still had standing fans in the rooms and planned on keeping those available until October. 

Well, yesterday new guests arrived for a week and this morning we woke to find out that they put the ac units back in the windows! (My husband keeps them in the bedroom closets). Cheeky to say the least! They never called, texted or messaged about this. It was warmer last night - a one night fluke and then back to the 40s and low 50s for the next week - but still!!

We are not pleased. The possible injury, the lacking of regard, the zero communication.... the list goes on. I’d love some help. My husband wants to go up and talk to them and I want to let it go and give them a less than stellar review at the end. I’m sure there are better options! Help!

thanks and be well. 

[Elena87]

@Laura2327 

If a guest can get their hands on an accessible item, by the law of percentages, one will eventually use it.

I've had a guest think it was big fun to erect a Christmas tree that was boxed and stored in a closet, in the middle of summer.

Consider installing a lock on the closet. If they can't handle it, they can't abuse it.

[Laura2327]

Wow!! Christmas in summer. Can’t imagine what else they were getting up to!

[Emilia42]

@Laura2327  I can only relate and roll my eyes with you. 

I had a guest do something similar in late June, expect they took the a/c out of the window and asked me for the screen back. They said it wasn't hot anymore so they didn't need it. Why they did not just turn it off is beyond me. They kept it sitting on the bedroom floor (leaking water?) for the duration of their stay and I had to call someone back over to help me lift it. 

I used to keep a window fan in the closet until a guest last February put it in the window on high speed for their entire 3-day stay. No thoughts about adjusting the heat. They just liked to sleep in the cold while piling every blanket available to them on the bed. 

I have months listed when guests can expect to use the A/C and when they are out of the windows I make sure they are far away and locked with no guest access. My boyfriend can lug them up and downstairs but if he is not around I would/have hired someone to move them to and from the basement. 

[Laura2327]

This makes me giggle... just a little!! Lol

[Robin4]

@Laura2327 

My goodness me, I learn something new every day. 

The smallest of window mount room air conditioners would have to weigh at least 35Kgs (80Lbs) . I shudder to think of the consequences of unskilled personnel putting this weight into a frame on a third floor window....far out!! Did they fix it in or just let it sit there to vibrate its way out and down to what ever was three floors below!!!

You have to make sure guests are aware of whether they can use supplied equipment or not, don't under any circumstance remove the installed equipment and leave it where the guest might find it and take actions into their own hands.

Laura, this is a serious disaster waiting to happen....I know what I am talking about, in my working life I owned a mechanical services company, that is what we did....supplied and installed air conditioners! 

Laura, guests will be guests, if you leave a loaded gun around they will find a way of shooting themselves.....securely fix those air cons in place so they can't be tampered with and instruct the guest on when they can use them and when they can't.

You can buy and ambient temperature sensitive power switch which you can set to allow power to each air con in a limited temperature band ....only cool if ambient is above 28c (82f) or heat when the temp is below 16c (60f)./ They are not expensive, (about the $28 US mark) but they will pay for themselves in running cost savings and you won't be sued because the guest tampered with something you left lying around! 

Cheers........Rob

[Laura2327]

Thanks Rob!  Be well. 

[Henry194]

The same happened to me in the VI. Add to that the Guest drove a Hummer, block all neighbors from passing along the narrow street. Called customer service they got him on his way and found him another place. 

[Laura2327]

Oh dear! I’m sorry to hear that.

The update is that the ac’s will be removed by my husband today and we will put signs on all of them saying “please do not touch” and I will also explicitly mention the no touching in our house rules binder. Ugh. 

[Henry194]

That’s good!!

[Emily1419]

If you're worried about the potential liability then the units should be put away, out of sight, out of mind. If "air conditioning" was listed as an amenity then I could completely understand their comfort with finding them accessible and putting them back in.