Travel nurse wants to leave young children home alone

[Wendy Fate]

Have you ever had a travel nurse who wants to leave her children unattended in your furnished rental overnight for a 13 hr shift?  I was told that they were bringing their 18 y.o. daughter to watch her 3 younger brothers, ages 5, 12 & 16.  She signed a lease for 5 people, listed them all on the application, but showed up without the 18 y.o. and said she would not be coming.  

I only agreed to let them apply based on the fact that an adult would be with the children and they would not be unattended in my space.  She claims that the lease says nothing about the children being left alone, which is true, however I was very clear in the phone interview that I would only agree if the 18 y.o. was supervising. She argues that 16 is legal age to babysit and I did not list it as a house rule. Also true.  I didn't think I needed to state that children cannot be left alone.  After all, she seemed to understand this based on the fact that she was bringing someone to watch them while she is away at work.  It now appears that this is what she does and was all just a strategy to get into a place.  I think I am dealing with a professional.  It is very likely the daughter was never coming to begin with.  She says she has been doing this for a while now without any issues, and that she always leaves the 5 and 12 y.o. with their 16 y.o. brother.  

She only told me the 18 y.o. was not coming the day before she was to move in, to which I said I was not comfortable with that.  I am trying to fill the space and let her out of the lease.  I have returned her deposit to her and will refund the full month's rent as soon as I fill the space, hopefully today.  I feel that was very fair. 

Lesson learned, I guess.  She is still blowing up my phone saying she needs her money back now, that she never moved into the place and it was not in writing that her children could not stay home alone.  She found somewhere else to stay, so that's not the issue.  I am happy to return her money, even though she signed a lease under certain terms that she presented herself as having childcare.

Am I being unreasonable? I feel that it is a huge liability she is asking me to carry.  She can leave her children home alone in her own home if she wants, but not in my fully furnished vacation rental.  What if there is an accident and they need medical attention or the 16 y.o. can't get his little brothers to listen to him and they trash the place or stay up all night making noise for the guest upstairs, or worse, they try to cook and burn down the place with other people in it?  We have smart TV's in every room with Wifi and access to any content they want. I would be worried about this as a parent. I guess we are not a good fit for families if they do not have childcare. New policy.  I will be sure to list that in the lease next time and not just discuss it verbally.

I hope that helps someone who may end up in a similar situation.  This was a new one for me.