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The original was posted on /r/AmItheAsshole by /u/Fuzzy-Entertainer269 on 2023-07-22 11:20:54.
my husband and I bought a summer house with a pool near the beach a year ago. Of course our relatives and friends came. We stayed there for a month, my aunts and uncles came, my other cousins, so did my husbands relatives. Of course we didnt ask them to pay anything because they stayed for a few days, besides they would help with the stuff like groceries. But one of my cousins asked me if he could have the whole house to his family of 4 for a month. I was ok with it since my husband and I only have a month off in summer so the other two months, the house was empty. We went back home at the end of july and the house was theirs until the end of agaust. I paid a lot of money for the bills those two months because since we get in beach/pool everyday, we take baths everyday, the water bill was higher than I ever imagined. I paid mine ok but to be honest paying my cousins water bill hurt me a bit because not only are they having a 100% free vacation for a month in our house but theyre also not even paying for the water and electricity they use. I didnt say anything though. But this year, I asked them to pay for it. since July was coming to an end they called me to confirm theyre comming and I said yes, if they would pay the bills. They were so offended and said it was inappropriate to ask such a thing, that he was family and that my family sometimes stayed in their house too. The comparison was different in many ways. We argued and most of my family took his side and called me a cheapskate. Am I wrong for asking him to pay the bills for the month he stays there?
NTA. Not even close. Most people make an effort to be fair, and especially so with family for this reason. That they expect something for free tells you everything. Just let the family know you’ve decided to rent during that month, so that you can recoup expenses. They’ll ask how much you can rent it for, and when they hear your answer they will be reminded how lucky they were. That won’t stop them from complaining of course, but at least they can’t play ignorant now.