That is horrifying. So far we have not had to let the gite out out of season. I had an unpleasant experience last Christmas when we opened up especially for the family of French friends. I wrote about it here on SFN. We did a good deed over Christmas.
http://www.survivefrance.com/t/we-did-a-good-deed-over-christmas-but-never-again/14537
This family slept on the sofa when we had offered them a bed in our house and then left without saying goodbye.
Fortunately they spent the vast proportion of their time with their family and did not cook.
You have to believe in karma!