travel nurse housing tips

12 Best Places to Find Travel Nurse Housing

Other places to find travel nurse housing, travel nurse housing 101.

• How to Find the Best Travel Nurse Housing

Travel Nurse Housing FAQs

For  travel nurses , finding comfortable, safe, and affordable housing is a top priority. Unfortunately, the task is getting harder because inflation has led to rising rental costs nationwide. It’s important to understand your options housing options as a travel nurse, which is why we’ve put together this guide on the best places to find travel nurse housing. 

>> Click here to see available high-paying travel nurse opportunities!

Travel nurses can qualify for almost any temporary or short-term lodging. Some choose to stay at a hotel with various amenities, while others opt to rent a room in a private residence. Most cities offer plenty of possibilities for every taste, preference, and lifestyle. 

This post is meant to provide useful information and should not be relied upon to make decisions, nor does it contain legal advice. Listings are not endorsed, and no association or affiliation is implied.

1. Furnished Finder (Travel Nurse Housing)

Furnished Finder (FF) and its spinoff site, TravelNurseHousing.com, are the most popular among travelers. The company has catered to healthcare professionals needing short-term housing since 2014 and is used by more than 100 medical staffing companies. This site usually has the best options — even in cities with limited choices. Most FF hosts offer month-to-month deals, and terms are negotiated directly with owners. 

FF’s free research tool, the  Travel Nurse Stipend Calculator , shows you the average living expenses for each city. Also, renters can get a free Owner Verification Report to identify problems with the property or landlord. 

Fees:  Free to browse and book directly with the owner; landlords may assess a one-time cleaning fee, deposit (around ⅓ of monthly rent), and pet fee if applicable

Booking details:   Message the owner or send a booking request through the website to initiate

Pros:  Options in hard-to-find locations, free owner verification report, interaction with property owners directly

Cons:  Listings are not continuously monitored for accuracy and may be out of date; some owners may be unresponsive

Another popular site known for travel arrangements is Airbnb. The short-term rental site is known for vacation rentals, but travel nurses can use it to find housing through millions of listings in more than 100,000 cities. It’s the largest platform on our list for travelers. 

Search listings by type to book anything from yurts to cabins or treehouses, all with a homey feel. Airbnb hosts tend to offer perks like extra linens, stocked coffee bars, and even bicycles to use around town. The downside can be that prices and fees are higher compared to some sites on this list.

Fees:  Booking service fees are usually split between the host and guest; the service fees for travelers should be  under 14.2%  of the booking subtotal; hosts may charge for cleaning and pet deposits

Booking details:   Reserve instantly, check availability, or message AirBnB hosts through the website or mobile app to initiate

Pros:  Find unique stays; many comforts of home available at no extra charge, easy to use platform with direct booking capabilities

Cons:  More expensive due to fees; hosts can cancel your booking in rare cases; payment is required upfront each month and may not be  refundable

VRBO (Vacation Rentals By Owner) is another short-term rental site that connects travelers to property owners. Though it’s not a travel nurse housing site per se, the site offers millions of rental options with flexible cancellation policies. 

Since VRBO caters to vacation homeowners, properties tend to be higher-end. Create a  Trip Board to plan your next assignment, compare housing choices, and collaborate with other travelers.

Fees:  Owners set fees for each rental (such as cleaning, pets, and boat fees); VRBO charges owners  8% of the booking  for commission and payment processing

Booking details:  Click Book Now on the site or app, then agree to the terms and conditions to pay and secure the rental

Pros:  24-hour customer service availability and the platform allows partial payments

Cons:  The site charges more fees, which may be passed on to boarders; Cancellation policies are strict and may not provide refunds for cancellations

Corporate housing by owner (corporatehousingbyowner.com) is another popular resource for medical professionals looking for fully furnished short-term leases. This respectable website has been in operation since 2005. 

It offers a user-friendly browsing experience for professional clientele. There are plenty of corporate listings in major cities, with virtual or video tours. 

You can browse listings on your own or submit a no-obligation  housing request. When you send a request, the CHBO team searches for you and then sends a tailored list of properties that meet your budget and needs via email. The company also offers customer care by phone or online chat 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Fees:  No fee to search properties or contact owners; CHBO charges owners an annual or monthly fee for their listing. 

Booking details:   CHBO handles your rental agreement, background and credit checks, deposit, and rental collection

Pros:  24-hour customer service for maintenance, billing, or other problems; properties are professionally managed

Cons:  Monthly rates are on the higher end; CHBO requires full background and credit checks; the fee is expensive for owners to list properties, so you may not see as many options as other websites

5. Facebook Groups

Facebook groups can be a great place to find travel nurse housing, plus insider tips on where/where not to stay from other travelers. You could even find potential roommates if that’s what you want. To find groups for travel nurses, search for specific keywords, including:

“[City] travel nurses”

“Travel nursing: places/rooms for rent”

“Travel nurse housing rentals by landlords”

“Travel nurse housing rentals”

These online communities connect nurses with available housing, learn the locale, and make new friends. This is one we definitely recommend checking out. 

Fees:  Free

Booking details:  Only provides links to listings or tips, not a booking site

Pros:  Get unbiased first-hand experiences and suggestions from other travel nurses

Cons: Fewer listings than other platforms on this list; scammers can also join these groups

6. CraigsList (CL)

For most nurses who take the stipend, finding the most safe and comfortable housing at the lowest rate is the goal. That’s where Craigslist (CL) comes in. 

Wait, I know what you’re thinking. And the answer is yes. Nurses still use CL to find housing. The online directory has been around since the 1990s and is free to use. 

The problem is that most travelers will tell you that CL has more scams than other sites. So, be wary of the red flags we cover below. That said, you can typically find bargains on CL without the fees that other sites add in.

Fees:  Free 

Booking details:   Online listings provide details on how to contact property owners directly for booking

Pros:  Low rates, no fees

Cons:  Free listings are attractive to would-be scammers

Although Zillow is well regarded as the finest option to search for yearly leases or properties to buy, it will also have a fair number of short-term leases. To find them, search rentals by city, add “furnished”, and add the keyword “short term”. You can also add parameters for price, features, and even the type of housing.  

The best feature that Zillow offers over other sites on this list is third-party data about the neighborhood, including a  Walk Score and Bike Score. These walkability rankings can help you plan whether or not you’ll need a car and how you will get around town. It is a useful tool even if you don’t book through Zillow.

Fees:  Free to browse and apply; owners set deposits and fees for their properties

Booking details:  Send a message through the site to property owners/managers to start the process

Pros:  Provides lots of information for listings, including neighborhood data, comparable area rates, maps, and even details about local legal protections for renters 

Cons:  Limited short-term rentals for travelers; not designed for traveling professionals

Zumper is the largest privately owned rental platform in North America, boasting more than 178 million site visits annually. Zumper has a huge bank of listings because it links to additional sites, including VRBO, Evolve, and Rentals United. 

Properties on the Zumper platform also show the “neighborhood vibe” and rate the location’s parks, shopping, nightlife, and transit.

In March, the company announced  major expansions , including a  Flex Pass annual subscription for travelers. This annual membership gives travel nurses access to fully furnished short-term rentals with the best rates, waived security deposits, and dedicated booking support. The Flex Pass is $300 per year, but you can try it free for a limited time. 

Fees:  Rental applicants must  pay $30  for screening (background check, eviction history, and credit report), $10 additional to share the screening with multiple properties, and any additional application fee required by the property owner. 

Booking details : Apply online and submit a digital rental application and credit reports through Zumper’s screening service; you will be notified if you’re approved

Pros:  User-friendly mobile app provides real-time notifications when new rentals are added; offers various types of housing; try Flex Pass free for a limited time 

Cons:  You must pay for the ​​screening up front and could still be denied; inability to talk to the landlord about any issues in your history; you could only write an appeal letter 

9. Short Term Housing

ShortTermHousing.com focuses on 30-day corporate housing rentals for traveling professionals. This site has over 30,000 rentals in more than 6,000 US cities. It is worth checking out, but the rates you’ll find will be higher — starting at $2,800 per month. 

When you visit the website, click “Browse Our Furnished Apartments”, and you’ll be directed to a list of hospitals nationwide with links to “Furnished Housing Near Medical Centers”. This quick tip is an incredibly convenient hack to add to your travel nurse housing search. 

Users also have the option to submit a housing request and have a rental expert contact them. When you pick a property, Short Term Housing collects the deposit, schedules move-in, and sends the lease contract.

Fees:   Free to search and talk to rental experts; fees vary by property

Booking details : Complete a Rental Request to connect with a rental agent

Pros:  Furnished listings with all utilities included designed for working professionals

Cons:  Pricier options; must fill out a tedious rental request detailing your preferences, budget, etc.; unable to book with landlords directly or negotiate terms

10. National Corporate Housing

National is one of the largest corporate housing providers, with local teams in 27 cities across the US. It offers 4- and 5-star fully furnished housing options for working professionals. 

Corporate apartments have a full kitchen, access to laundry, paid utilities, cable/streaming services, and WiFi. And if you’re looking for top-notch customer service, this may be the place to look.  

National listings tend to be more expensive, but there are no hidden fees, and renters pay a flat rate month-to-month. Lease cancellations are permitted with a 15-day notice. This flexibility is great for travel nurses in case their contract is canceled. National Corporate Housing also offers a free  Rental Resource to help with travel nurse housing research. 

Fees:   Free searches and free virtual support; the properties set fees

Booking details : Complete a Request to Book, and a rental agent will contact you

Pros:  High-class accommodations, no dealing with the landlord, free rental resources and support, 24-hour emergency assistance.

Cons:  May not be covered by the standard stipend

11. HomeStay.com

HomeStay’s tagline is: “Live Like a Local, with a Local”. This platform offers travel nurse housing that is different from others on this post because it usually means a shared or private room in a family home. 

HomeStay is much like the company AirBnB started as a way to truly experience a locale by staying in a host’s home and becoming a part of the community. Think of accommodations for an exchange student. That means you won’t find private spaces here. 

HomeStay listings are priced much lower than the other sites on our list. You can find rooms for $30 per night or $900 monthly. Some hosts even include meals. Book directly with the host by sending a message and ironing out the details.

Fees:  Renters pay a 15% booking fee and 25% deposit upfront to secure their arrangement; deposits are refunded with a seven-day notice

Booking details : Message the host to confirm availability and ask questions. When your dates are confirmed, you can pay to reserve the space

Pros:  Most affordable option; staying with others makes traveling less lonely; “live like a local” and explore the community

Cons:   Less privacy

12. Travelers Haven/Blueground

Travelers Haven was formed in 2008 as a travel nurse housing site. Since then, it has grown to a formidable platform offering short-term rentals in all 50 states. According to the company’s website, over 3,000 nurses secure their housing through Travelers Haven each year. 

The company offers customized contracts with flexible terms, 24-hour support, and a customer portal to stay up-to-date on rental arrangements. Listings are not posted. Rather you must provide your contact information, and someone will contact you.

The company  joined Blueground , a corporate apartment rental site, earlier this year. The company plans  continued US growth  to over 20,000 cities over the next two years. Prices on Blueground are slightly lower for corporate-style apartments in desirable neighborhoods. However, these leases typically exclude utilities.

Fees:   No fee to submit a request; landlords can post for free, but Blueground charges a 6% commission

Booking details : Click “Find Your Stay” to have a rep call you

Pros:   Travelers Haven has flexible lease terms and all-inclusive accommodations; no searching; it’s like using a broker that will find options for you; the network is growing with new rentals each day

Cons:  Travelers Haven listings are hidden; Blueground listings exclude utilities

This list was recently shared in a  Reddit thread  and gives a long list of other places to find travel nurse housing. 

• RotatingRoom
• Apartment List also has a  Cost of Living Calculator
• Hello  Landing
• Transplant Housing
• Furnished Apartments
• Corporate Housing
• Housing Helpers
• ForRent.com
• Travel Housing Pro
• CozyCozy is another site that lets you compare listings from AirBnB, VRBO, booking.com, Trip.com, Expedia, and more.

If you’re not quite ready to secure a place to stay yet and are still trying to understand what travel nurse housing is, read on for a full overview of what it is, what’s included, and what to watch out for. 

What is Travel Nurse Housing?

Travel nurse housing is the short-term living arrangement that travelers make for a temporary move to a new city on assignment. A short-term rental agreement is a great solution for nursing professionals who need a comfortable and safe place to stay while working away from home. In general, travel nurse housing accommodations offer a private bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living area for relaxing or socializing.

Travel nurses can choose to stay in private or shared housing. A benefit of sharing travel nurse housing is the chance to meet other travel nurses and share experiences. Nurses who travel with others often make lasting connections.

What’s Included in Travel Nurse Housing?

Travel nurse housing arrangements usually offer basic amenities such as WiFi, laundry facilities, and access to local stores and restaurants. Housing options may include on-site luxuries like pools, lounges, or gyms. 

Upscale travel nurse housing may include 24-hour concierge service, housekeeping, and security alarms. 

Nurses traveling with their furry friends can find pet-friendly travel nurse housing.

Other travel nurse housing amenities to look for include:

• Fully-furnished
• Kitchenware, including pans, silverware, glasses, etc
• Appliances like toasters and microwaves
• Bedding & all linens (two sets are nice!).
• In-home washer and dryer
• Designated parking spaces
• High-speed internet connection 
• Secure access
• The right location!

Housing accommodations vary from city to city. And for most assignments, finding fully furnished apartments in prime neighborhoods with all of the conveniences a travel nurse could need is possible. The challenge may lie in finding housing to fit the budget.

Agency Housing vs. Stipend for Travel Nurse Housing

When it comes to travel nurse housing, there are two main options for nurses: 

Agency-placed housing

A stipend for housing

There are advantages and disadvantages to each depending on your situation.

Agency Housing for Travel Nurse Housing

• Less stress
• No out-of-pocket or upfront costs for deposit, fees, etc
• Travel agencies may lease multiple units at a time, meaning they can get discounted rates nurses won’t find. That usually means that agency-provided housing is a better living experience, with professional management and desirable locations. 
• Few, if any, options
• Inability to negotiate lower living expenses
• Agency-placed housing means that the travel  nursing  agency covers the cost of housing (usually an apartment or rental home) while a nurse is on assignment. This is the simplest way to secure housing. 
• Nurses forfeit some of their preferences as well as the housing stipend. As traveler Kelli Leach puts it, “Agencies send you  two to three housing options  to choose from (if available and if you ask), but ultimately, they’re going to place you where is most convenient for them (typically what is currently available and the cheapest).” 

Stipend for Travel Nursing Housing

• More choice
• Possibility to pocket additional pay. A stipend for travel nurse housing means that the agency gives the nurse tax-free money (a stipend) to cover their housing expenses while on assignment. This could range from hundreds to thousands per month. For some, it is the more attractive option because it lets the nurse choose the housing and budget as they see fit. If you find cheaper housing on your own in a room, basement, or condo, you can pocket the rest of the stipend tax-free.
• More responsibility, effort, and leg work to find short-term housing
• You also get more flexibility in contract duration. You set the lease term. That means you can spend more or less time in the city — before or after the contract — if you want. 
• Picking the stipend is more risky, though. If you choose the stipend but don’t find a place in your budget, you could pay more out of pocket.

Overall, both agency housing and stipends for travel nurse housing have advantages and drawbacks. So weighing the options and deciding which best suits your needs is important.

Traveling Nurse Housing Scams to Watch For

Unfortunately, con artists try to take advantage of visitors in unfamiliar towns. If you’re not cautious, you could become the victim of a travel nurse housing scam. Through internet adverts and transactions, shady people pretend to be landlords in order to mislead potential renters. They want your money or personal details and may or may not have a property for lease.  

Although some housing websites vet landlords and property owners, detecting and preventing every form of fraud is tricky. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), there are  two main housing scams to know about.  

Bogus Property: The con is that there is no place to rent.  A listing might contain an address, but it may not match street-view photos from Google Maps. More than 5 million people have lost money in this scam. 

Hijacked Ad: In this scenario, there is (or was) a place for rent, but an imposter has copied the listing and put their details as the owner/manager.  The BBB calls this the most common scam involving rentals.

Travel Nurse Housing Red Flags

In most cases, it’s easy to spot red flags in these travel nurse housing scams. Fraudsters often use an unusual story about why they can’t show you the place. Still, they’ll pressure you to send money to hold the property. Other potential red flags to watch for include:

• The owner is not upfront or unclear about the terms, fees, and other details
• The price is way below similar properties in the area
• The property owner lives locally but refuses to meet in person
• Unusual grammar in text/email communications 
• Names on the listing and public records do not match or don’t match the person you’re dealing with
• The owner insists on payment through a wire transfer or to an international account
• Ad images are poor quality, or there are only one or two.
• The landlord is overly eager to strike a deal before any paperwork or background information.
• The owner wants you to sign or pay immediately.
• Suspicious links are sent via email or text (these could be phishing attacks)

Consider these tips when searching for the right rental housing as a travel nurse. If you  run into a scam , report it to the  BBB ScamTracker  and the  Federal Trade Commission . 

How to Find the Best Travel Nurse Housing 

One of the most important aspects of your salary package is housing. Thankfully, more platforms are catering to travel nurses. To attract healthcare workers, most property owners offer similar accommodations and incentives. However, terms, prices, location, and flexibility can make or break a deal.

We hope you found these pointers helpful and use them on your next assignment to find the perfect housing for your next travel nurse adventure! 

How much should I spend on housing as a travel nurse?

• Experts advise keeping your housing costs to less than 30% of your gross monthly income.

Do traveling nurses get a housing stipend?

• In some cases, they do. When they accept a travel nurse assignment, they can accept agency-arranged housing or a stipend.

Is renting to traveling nurses worth it?

• Yes. Nurses make great tenants because they are gainfully employed and have already been subjected to background checks and regular or frequent drug tests through their employers. Nurses are also the most trusted professionals, with a reputation for being dependable and effective communicators.

How do travel nurses afford housing?

• Nurses can accept housing paid for by their staffing agency or take a housing stipend. Those who take a stipend can use it however they see fit, whether renting a room on a website or booking an expensive corporate apartment and paying the difference.

Sarah S. Falcone, BSN, RN, is a nurse and health content writer in Fort Worth, TX. She has worked in various settings, including Med-Surg and L&D, but home health has her heart. Sarah is a passionate advocate for moving advanced levels of care to the home, where her clients can safely receive medical treatments they need, with greater satisfaction and comfort. She focuses on patient experience, outcomes, and advancing clinical models using innovative technology to serve patients better. Sarah draws from 15 years of practicing patient care and nursing leadership, to share her own nursing experiences and expertise online. Connect with her on LinkedIn !

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How to Find Your Own Travel Nurse Housing – The Ultimate Guide

Finding your own travel nurse housing can seem daunting because there are tons of variables and options to consider. Moreover, travel nurse housing involves many unique circumstances that make it more complex than normal. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know to find your own travel nurse housing like a pro!

First, this article assumes you’ve already considered the pros and cons of both agency-provided housing and finding your own housing. If you have not considered all the risks and rewards involved with this decision, then please review our article on that topic here .

Also, this article does not cover issues related to you taking agency-provided housing. Please review our Ultimate Guide to Travel Nurse Company Housing for everything you need to know about taking the company’s housing.

If you’re interested in learning everything you need to find your own travel nurse housing, then this is the article for you! First, we’ll cover some basic information about travel nurse housing reimbursements.

Find your next travel healthcare job on BluePipes!

Next, we’ll cover some general issues you should consider when you secure your own travel nurse housing. Then, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about various housing options from the perspective of a travel nurse.

Finally, we’ll provide tons of resources to help you find your own travel nurse housing. We’ll also provide some information about each resource so you’ll know what to expect.

Table of Contents:

General Considerations for Finding Your Own Travel Nurse Housing

Travel nurses and housing scams, everything travel nurses ought to know about extended stays.

• Hotels and Motels

What About “Corporate Housing” for Travel Nurses?

Apartment complexes and home rentals for travel nurses, how to use craigslist to find your own travel nurse housing, how to search for vacation rentals as a travel nurse, how to use airbnb for travel nurse housing.

• How to Use HomeAway and VRBO for Travel Nurse Housing

List of General Vacation Rental Services for Travel Nurses

Niche services to find travel nurse housing, the travel nurse housing reimbursement.

If you decide to secure your own travel nurse housing, then the travel nursing company will most likely pay you a nontaxable housing stipend. Therefore, it behooves you to know all you can about this compensation variable.

We covered everything you need to know about the travel nurse housing reimbursement in another article . We strongly encourage you to review it.

Discover the ultimate travel nursing pay calculator.

Basic information on stipend

Here, we just provide some basic points to remember. First, you must have a legitimate tax-home to qualify for tax-free reimbursements. If you do not, then you are an “itinerant worker”. In this case, the housing stipend is taxable even if the agency pays it to you tax-free.

Second, the amount of the lodging reimbursement varies by location, assignment and company. And, all else equal, some companies pay higher lodging reimbursements than others.

However, this does not necessarily mean the overall pay packages are any different. For example, one company might offer lower reimbursements but a higher taxable wage while another offers higher reimbursements and a lower taxable wage. This is why it is so important for you to accurately compare pay packages . You can use our powerful travel nursing pay calculator to help.

Additionally, it’s important to note that most if not all travel nursing companies adhere to the same upper limits on tax-free lodging reimbursements . The General Services Administration of the Federal Government publishes these upper limits. The limits vary by location.

That said, most travel nurses recommend that you work with agencies that offer reimbursements on the high side. This is especially true when you find your own housing. The reason is that a higher percentage of your pay ends up being nontaxable. Therefore, you end up with higher net pay .

Finally, it’s important to note that lodging reimbursements are taxable if you do not actually incur an expense for lodging. For example, if you stay with friends or family for free while you’re on assignment, then the lodging reimbursement is taxable income.

Again, we encourage you to review our full article on travel nurse housing stipends here . However, now that we’ve covered the basics, we can take a look at the general issues you should consider when you find your own travel nurse housing.

Take Stock of What You Need from Your Travel Nurse Housing

First, you might want to make a list of your housing needs. This list should include items specific to housing as well as items specific to your lifestyle. Here is a just a small list of considerations:

• Proximity to work
• Appliances (washer/dryer, toaster, dishwasher, etc)
• Walkability
• Proximity to gym
• Neighborhood safety and security

Essentially, the list you create will inform your housing search. It will also help you make sure you have everything you need to maintain your lifestyle. Never assume that a housing option comes equipped with anything. Always ask for verification and mark items off your checklist.

If you’re wondering what to pack and how to pack, then please review our article with packing tips and tools for travel nurses .

Travel Nurse Housing Length of Stay

The typical travel nursing contract is 13 weeks long, which is 3 months. Other common time-frames are 4, 6, 8 and 26 weeks.

These timeframes put travel nurses in a sort of housing limbo. That’s because many landlords and property managers simply will not work with the shorter timeframes. Those that do will often increase the monthly rent by 5% to 10%. This can limit the housing options available to travel nurses.

The original Universal Profile and Credential Management for travelers.

For example, many apartment complexes require a minimum lease of 6 months. Meanwhile, most people feel that 13 weeks is too long for hotels and motels.

Fortunately, the proliferation of housing marketplaces, like Airbnb, is making life easier for travel nurses in this regard. Moreover, there are some tips and tricks for hotels and motels that can make these options more appealing for travel nurses. We’ll discuss these topics below.

Short-term Lodging Taxes for Travel Nurse Housing

Travel nurses should also be aware of “short-term lodging taxes”. These taxes are most common with hotels and motels. However, you can also encounter them with vacation rentals and apartments.

It’s not that travel nurses are on the hook to remit these taxes. The property owner bears that responsibility. Instead, the reason it is so important to consider these taxes is that they’re avoidable or refundable in some cases. Therefore, there is an opportunity for you to save hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

States, counties and cities levy these taxes . Therefore, the rules and regulations vary greatly. For example, Alabama has a 5% lodging tax for all rentals where the stay is 180 days or less. By contrast, California has no state or sales tax on lodging. Instead, counties or cities tax rentals where the stay is 30 days or less.

Refund for taxes is possible

Whether the taxes are refundable or avoidable varies by jurisdiction. For example, in some jurisdictions the taxes are refundable once you exceed the minimum stay.  In other jurisdictions, you simply stop paying the tax when you’ve met the minimum requirements.

Again, short-term lodging taxes are not applicable for all properties. It’s also important to note that lease agreements may not mention short-term lodging taxes at all. Certain hotel receipts may not mention them either. Therefore, it’s important to ask the property manager in advance because you might be able to save some money!

For example, we’ve worked with Extended Stay hotels that charge the applicable short-term lodging taxes for the first 30 days of stay. Then, they stop charging them after the 30 th day. If you ask them for a refund for the taxes you paid for the first 30 days, then they will grant you the refund. That’s because they no longer have to pay the short-term taxes once your stay qualifies as a long-term stay.

This will not work in all cases. However, it may only work if you ask.

Frequent Credit Checks

Most traditional landlords and property managers run a “hard credit check” before they agree to rent to anyone. Hard credit checks can lower your FICO credit score . This is particularly true if they happen frequently.

However, hard credit checks don’t affect your credit score all that much. Moreover, it’s questionable as to whether or not the frequency that travel nurses get credit checks will actually have much of an effect on their credit score.

That said, if you are concerned, then you can try to avoid them. For example, individual property owners run credit checks much less frequently than professional property managers. Vacation rentals, shared-spaces, hotels and motels hardly ever run credit checks. Therefore, you can focus on these properties as a way to avoid this issue.

Also, you can try to provide additional information to property owners in an effort to avoid hard credit checks . For example, you might try providing them with a copy of your contract to demonstrate income stability. Or, you can provide bank account statements if you’ve been able to save an impressive amount of money. These tactics won’t always work, but they’re worth a try if this issue is important to you.

It’s Difficult to Inspect Travel Nurse Housing

In most cases, you’ll be too far away to physically inspect prospective housing options. This presents a number of issues for you to be aware of.

First, you must be aware that property owners often display photos that make their properties appear more glamorous than they actually are. Additionally, it’s difficult to get a feel for the neighborhood when you can’t be present.

You can use Google Maps with Street View or Google Earth to get a better idea of how the property and neighborhood look and feel. Here are some free services that can help you get an idea of neighborhood safety and livability:

• City Protect

Uncertainty and Travel Nurse Housing

Uncertainty is another unique factor that travel nurses often contend with. Specifically, you will inevitably experience uncertainty about where you’re going to be working next and when you’re going to be there.

Uncertainty can be an issue when It comes to your initial housing search. Contract start dates change sometimes. Sometimes, contracts get cancelled before they start.

Free eBook: How To Negotiate Travel Nursing Pay

Uncertainty can also be problematic when it comes to transitioning from one contract to the next. This is because landlords typically want advance notice of when you’re leaving. They need time to rent the property in order to minimize their vacancy rates.

If you tell the landlord you’re going to stay and the hospital cancels your contract extension, then you could be on the hook for rental fees. If you tell the landlord you’re going to leave, but then your current hospital offers you a surprise contract extension, then you could be stuck with an unwanted move if someone else already rented your current property.

There’s no easy way around these issues. The best you can do is maintain excellent communication with all stakeholders.

Given that travel nurses are often remote when they engage in their housing searches, they are slightly more susceptible to scams. This is because many housing scams hinge on “sight unseen” components. Essentially, the scammers advertise a fake property and try to get you to send them money for it.

Scammers typically perpetrate their scams on classified websites like Craigslist. However, scams can also exist on sites like Facebook and even on vacation rental sites like Airbnb.

In this section, we’ll discuss how to spot potential housing scams. We’ll also discuss how to avoid scams.

How to Spot Travel Nurse Housing Scams

Housing scammers typically try to mimic the behavior of real landlords or property managers. Therefore, it’s not always easy to spot a scam. However, there are several characteristics to watch out for.

First, be careful with properties with prices well below the market. Scammers often advertise prices that are hundreds of dollars below market to attract more attention.

Next, evaluate the telephone situation. You should be suspicious of the property manager in the following telephone related scenarios:

• They can’t or won’t provide a telephone number
• They provide a Google Voice number (You’ll know because you’ll hear Google’s advertising when you call the number IF the subscriber has not modified Google’s default settings.)
• The provide another type of VOIP number.
• The area code does not match the area code of the property

You can use phone number lookup tools to make sure everything looks legit. IP QualityScore is one such service. It will show you whether the number is a Land, Wireless or VOIP number.

Common scam characteristics

Additionally, you should be leery of any property manager that can’t meet you in person. Of course, you are likely remote so you can’t meet them. However, if you get suspicious that you may be subject to a scam, then you can ask them to meet just to see what they say.

Next, a high percentage of scams originate in foreign countries. Therefore, watch out for housing advertisements that have poor grammar. Also, watch for advertisements that use British spellings like labour instead of labor or realise instead of realize.

Also, be suspicious of sob stories and other emotional appeals. For example, a scammer might tell you that they’re in another country and they need the money to return home to tend to a sick relative.

Similarly, watch out for extreme urgency. All property managers want to rent their properties ASAP. However, you should be suspicious of those who utilize overtly pushy sales tactics.

You should also be mindful of the time that communications are coming through from the property owner. If you realize that the property owner routinely responds at 3am local time, then they maybe in a different country.

Finally, you should immediately stop communicating with anyone that asks you to wire money. Wire transfers are non-refundable and can’t be stopped once transmitted.

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This goes for bank wires, Western Union, MoneyGram, Walmart’s money transfers, or any other type of wire transfer. It also goes for “Peer-to-Peer” payment apps like Zelle, Venmo and Cash App. In fact, these apps are specifically designed for sending money to people you know and trust.

2 Scenarios That are Particularly Difficult when You are Remote

There are two common housing scam tactics that are very difficult to deal with when you are remote. First, some scammers simply want your social security number, date of birth and bank account information. Rental property applications typically require all this information.

One common scam is when scammers require you to fill out a rental property application before viewing the property or meeting the property manager. If you are remote, then it’s very difficult to view the property and meet the owner in advance. Therefore, you will most likely need to complete the application prior to doing so.

Second, another common scam involves the scammer requesting money before you view the property. Again, if you’re remote, then you will most likely not be able to view the property before sending money.

Here again, you could request to view the property simply to test the property manager’s response. If they ask for money just to view the property, then you know it’s a scam.

How to Avoid Housing Scams as a Travel Nurse

Now that you know what to look for in order to avoid housing scams, you can greatly reduce your risk of getting trapped by them. However, there are countermeasures you can use to reduce your risk even further.

Secure Housing on Arrival

First, you can wait to secure your housing until you arrive at your destination. In this scenario, you stay in a hotel, motel or Airbnb when you first arrive. Then, you focus on finding your housing in the first few days after arrival.

Of course, you can make the process easier by researching the housing market and setting appointments in advance. While this approach is risky in other ways, it will help you avoid scams in nearly every case.

Verify the Property and the Landlord

Second, you can verify the validity of the property and the landlord. To begin, visit Google Maps and enter the property’s address. Next, use Street View to inspect the property and surrounding area. Alternatively, you can research the address on Zillow or Redfin . Make sure the pictures match those in the advertisement you’re responding to.

If all else fails, you can try using Google’s Reverse Image Search . This can possibly help you determine if the same images are being used for multiple different property listings. Simply enter the images from the advertisement into Image Search and view the results.

Next, you can research the landlord on Google and social media, especially LinkedIn. Always request a telephone call with the landlord. Even better, request facetime or a video conference. It’s even okay to ask for references like former tenants.

Finally, Furnished Finder offers a free Owner Verification Report. Simply visit this link , scroll down tto the “Free Owner Verification Report”, enter the property details and submit the request. They’ll email you with property owner information they retrieve from public records.

If the property is managed through a property management company, then investigate the company and the agent you’re communicating with. Make sure the agent’s phone number, address and email address match the Property Management Company’s website and Google listing. Call the property management office to verify that the agent you are speaking with is legit.

Utilize Most Vetted Resources

Third, you can utilize only the most reputable resources to find your travel nurse housing. Services like Airbnb , Furnished Finders , Apartment List and others like them typically vet property owners before allowing them to list. Additionally, they typically provide legitimate reviews from previous tenants.

Meanwhile, resources like Craigslist and Facebook are less secure. These platforms have very few preventive measures for scammers.

Finally, as we mentioned above, don’t ever wire money .

Now that we’ve covered most of the general information you need to know, we’ll take a look at the specific details of various housing options available to travel nurses.

“Extended Stay” hotels are excellent housing options for travel nurses who find their own housing. Extended-stay hotels are defined by the fact that they have a kitchenette in every room. Of course, this is a huge advantage over traditional hotels.

Unfortunately, many properties that do not have kitchenettes still refer to themselves as Extended Stays. Therefore, you must always inquire if the room includes a kitchenette.

Also, you must inquire about the specific features of the kitchenette. Some rooms include ovens, full-size refrigerators and dishwashers while others do not.

To be safe, don’t assume that an extended-stay’s kitchen includes anything. Ask about everything that is important to you. That goes for coffee makers, toasters, microwaves and anything else.

Another advantage of extended-stays is that they do not require a lease. This means you avoid the risk of having to pay to cover a lease in case your contract gets cancelled. That’s a huge advantage over traditional apartments even when the apartment agrees to a month-to-month lease.

Additionally, extended-stays do not require a security deposit. Also, they do not require credit checks. Of course, they are fully furnished. They are almost always pet-friendly.

Moreover, the utilities are already setup for you and the cost is included in the price. Often times, they even include amenities like laundry service, house cleaning, gyms, swimming pools, free breakfast and more.

Here again, be sure to inquire with each property about things like WiFi, parking and other amenities. The offerings vary greatly from property to property. Never assume they include anything.

In any case, all of these advantages serve to reduce your financial risk. They also save you tons of time!

Where can Travel Nurses Find Extended-Stays

The great news is that there are about 40,000 extended stay properties in the U.S. alone. Extended Stay America is probably the most popular operator of extended-stay hotels among travel nurses. That’s because they typically offer the most amenities for the best price. For example, most Extended Stay America Hotels include ovens and a free grab-and-go breakfast.

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However, there are tons of other extended-stay operators. Some of these operators have hundreds of properties across the country. Others operate a small number of properties in specific areas.

It can be difficult to find these properties, especially the smaller operators. Below is just a small list of options for you to consider:

• Extended Stay America
• Woodspring Suites
• In Town Suites
• Budget Suites of America
• Candlewood Suites
• Staybridge Suites
• Metro Extended Stay (example of really small operator)
• Homewood Suites
• Hyatt House
• HomeTowne Studios
• Residence Inn
• TownePlace Suites
• Hawthorn Suites

Most extended-stays are located in decent areas but some are located in less desirable areas. Therefore, you should always research the area using the same tools we listed above.

Additionally, most extended-stays have internal room entry. This means that the door to your room is on the inside of the building. This adds an extra layer of security. Again, be sure to ask about this if it is important to you.

How Travel Nurses can Negotiate with Extended Stay Hotels

It’s important to note that the hotel industry defines an “extended stay” as a stay of 5 days or more. Of course, travel nurses will stay much longer than 5 days if they stay for the duration of their contract. This means you can, and should, negotiate a more favorable rate than the rate you will see on the property’s website.

Discount codes for travel nurses

As a travel nurse, you may see discount codes for Extended Stay America and other properties floating around the travel nursing community and on deal websites like RetailMeNot . You are welcome use these codes.

However, we encourage you to contact the property directly and request to speak to the property manager. Or, if the property is a franchise, then request to speak with the property owner if possible.

You see, the discount codes are often part of a referral program. The person or business providing you with the referral code gets a referral bonus.

Discount negotiation for travel nurses

There is nothing wrong with this. However, it does represent a cost to the hotel in question. As a result, you can often get a much better deal by contacting the property manager directly.

You can even negotiate with multiple properties in order to achieve the best price. Doing this takes very little time and can save you hundreds, even thousands of dollars more than the coupon code depending on your length of stay.

To increase your bargaining power, tell them you’re a travel nurse and that there is a strong chance that you’ll be returning under similar circumstances in the future. If you stay at these properties enough, then you may get better discounts and even discounts on short term stays.

Also, it’s important to note that most hotel operators have rewards programs. You should definitely sign up for these programs when available. Just one long-term stay can add up to lots of rewards points!

Hotels and Motels for Travel Nurses

Standard hotels and motels are another option for travel nurses. However, we recommend using them only for short-term stays unless no other options are available.

Hotels and motels tend to be much more expensive. Moreover, they lack a kitchen so you end up spending much more money on food.

If you do choose to use them, then please note that many of the dynamics are similar to those we described for extended-stays. For example, you should negotiate rates on long-term stays.

Also, you should utilize rewards programs when available. In fact, if you use hotels regularly, then booking directly with the hotel using the rewards program almost always guarantees the best rate. That said, if you’re going to stay at a hotel for weeks, then contact the hotel directly to try and negotiate a special rate.

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Of course, you are undoubtedly familiar with hotel search engines and discount sites like Kayak , Booking.com and Hotel Tonight . These sites and others like them are fine to use for short-term stays.

“Corporate housing” is another option people bandy about the travel nursing industry. Typically, corporate housing comes as fully furnished apartments or condominiums. Corporate housing companies typically manage and service the properties.

It sounds great: Fully-furnished, turn-key apartments and condos for travel nurses. However, corporate housing tends to be cost prohibitive. According to CoStar Group, Inc , the average rate for corporate housing in the United States is $150 per day. That’s $4,500 per month! Our recommendation is to stay away.

However, if you want to research corporate housing, then here is a list of websites for your consideration:

• Corporate Housing by Owner
• CorporateHousing.com
• National Corporate Housing
• AHI Corporate Housing
• Key Housing
• Oasis Corporate Housing
• Suite America
• Fox Corporate Housing
• Blu Corporate Housing
• Churchill Living
• Traveler’s Haven

Renting an apartment or home directly with the property manager is at the other end of the spectrum from extended-stay hotels when it comes to travel nurse housing. Essentially, rentals tend to be the riskiest and most difficult options for travel nurses to work with.

To clarify, we are referring specifically to the act of renting an apartment or home directly with the operator, property manager or owner. We are not referring to sublets, vacation rentals, shared spaces or housing marketplaces like Airbnb.

Apartment lease terms are a problem

The majority of rentals require lease terms of 6 months or longer. In fact, they define “short term” as 6 months. It’s very difficult to find rentals that accept 3-month leases. It’s even more difficult to find those that accept month-to-month leases.

As a result, these options tend to be the most difficult and time consuming for you to find. Moreover, they typically hike the monthly rent by 10% – 50% to accommodate the short stay. Additionally, depending on the lease terms, you will risk a minimum of 30 days’ worth of expenses should your contract get cancelled.

Of course, you’ll also have to furnish the rental in most cases. You can use furniture rental companies like Brook Furniture Rental , Cort or Aaron’s . However, these options tend to be quite expensive with prices starting at $450 per month to furnish a 1-bedroom apartment.

Instead, you could furnish the apartment yourself on the cheap. I worked with many travel nurses who used Craigslist to furnish entire apartments for less than the cost of one month of a furniture rental company. They traveled with an air mattress for the bed.

Finally, you’ll also need to secure all the utilities yourself. You may even need to secure a washer and dryer in some cases if those items are important to you.

How to find Apartment Complexes and Home Rentals for Travel Nurses

As we mentioned above, it’s very difficult to find rentals that accept month-to-month or 3-month leases. If you enter search-terms in Google like, “short term lease apartment”, you’ll get tons of results that seem to be exactly what you’re looking for.

Unfortunately, when you speak with an agent, you’ll find out that they do not accept anything less than 1 year or 6-month leases in the vast majority of cases. Moreover, the vast majority of apartment websites do not publish their lease terms or prices.

Therefore, the best you can do is call around and ask. Here are some websites that are primarily focused on aggregating information on apartment operators so you’ll have all their information in one location:

• Apartment List
• Apartments.com
• ApartmentHomeLiving.com
• ApartmentFinder.com
• ApartmentGuide.com
• HotPads.com

Here is a list of websites that focus primarily on home rentals or have a mix of home and apartment rentals:

• Realtor.com
• HomeFinder.com
• RentCafe.com
• Rentals.com
• ColdwellBanker

Are Apartment Complexes and Home Rentals Good Options for Travel Nurses?

By now, you’re no doubt wondering why a travel nurse would choose to secure a traditional rental property. One way to look it is that you get good value relative to a hotel or corporate housing.

For example, I recently spoke with a travel nurse who spent $2,600 per month for a one-bedroom apartment in San Jose, California. I know this sounds like a lot, but San Jose, CA is one of the most expensive cities in the country. She estimated she was paying $2,850 per month including utilities.

That averages out to about $95 per day. Meanwhile, the published rates for Extended Stay America in the same area are $120 – $134 per day. You may be able to negotiate them down to $75 per day for your long-term stay.

That’s a difference of about $600 or 20%-30% more per month for the apartment versus the Extended Stay. You can expect a similar percentage difference in most major markets. And in some markets, you may be able to get this difference down to 15%.

Many people are fine paying 15%-30% more for a nice apartment versus an extended-stay hotel. Meanwhile, the apartment is much less expensive than corporate housing or a standard hotel. However, you still have the risk of being stuck with a lease in case your contract gets cancelled.

Consider alternatives

All of that said, we recommend that travel nurses shy away from traditional rental properties. In most cases, it’s simply too much of a hassle and risk for you to deal with.

If you want a fully furnished apartment or home, then you’re better off working through a niche service or a vacation rental service. We discuss these options below.

Alternatively, you should consider accepting company housing if you really want a furnished apartment. In fact, if you’re working with one of the largest healthcare staffing companies, then there is a very good chance that they get volume discounts on the apartments they work with. Therefore, they can secure a traditional rental at a lower cost than you can.  Here is a link to an article in which we discuss everything you need to about travel nursing company-provided housing .

Travel Nursing Couples and Rentals

It’s important to note that travel nursing couples face a unique set of circumstances that can make it worthwhile for them to secure traditional rental properties should they desire this option. Specifically, if both members of a traveling couple share housing from the same company, then the company is not supposed to give either of them a lodging stipend. Instead, they’ll add more money to your taxable rate or tax the stipend. That means both of you will lose out on the tax-advantage.

Additionally, couples can divide the labor and cost of securing the apartment on their own. This decreases the hassle and cost for each person. It also reduces the risk exposure for each person should the contact get cancelled.

Now that we’ve discussed the more traditional housing options, we can move on to some of the more creative options. These options include vacation rentals, shared spaces and sublets.

First, there are several ways you can use Craigslist for your travel nurse housing search. For starters, you can search through the advertisements in “rooms/shared”, “apts/housing”, “sublets/temporary” and “vacation rentals” under the “housing” section.

Second, you can place your own advertisements in the “rooms wanted” and “housing wanted” sections. We strongly recommend this approach.

Simply create a craigslist account and post an ad for the city/state that you are traveling to. For example, “Registered Nurse seeking accommodations for 13 weeks during a travel nursing assignment. Please respond via email with any options you may have.”

You’ll receive a lot of inquiries from people looking to rent out a room in their apartment or home. However, every once in a while, you’ll find a true gem. I worked with a nurse who secured a 1200 square foot, fully-equipped guest house for a 5500 square foot estate near West Hills, CA for $900 per month all-inclusive. I had another nurse sublet a posh condo in Sunnyvale, CA while the owner was traveling for 6 months in South America. It’s rare, but it’s possible.

While Craigslist has done a lot in recent years to prevent scams, you must still watch out for scams when you use the service. Please review the section above on how to avoid scams for more information.

Finally, it’s important to note that Craigslist has a native iOS application as well as a native Android application .

Other Classified Websites for Travel Nurses

Ultimately, Craigslist is a classified-ad service. Here are four additional classified websites you can try:

• Classifiedads.com
• Facebook Marketplace

ULoop warrants special consideration. This is because ULoop is actually a marketplace geared toward college students. In fact, you need a .edu email address to join.

The reason we list it here is that ULoop has a robust housing section that is full of sublets, shared-spaces and furnished rentals. You can browse the listings without an account. Moreover, the vast majority of listings provide full contact information for the property manager.

If there is a university in the area of your assignment, then ULoop is worth a try. Simply search for the university from ULoop’s homepage and you’ll be taken to the classified ads for that university.

Using Vacation Rental and Shared-Space Websites like Airbnb for Travel Nurse Housing

Vacation rental and shared-space marketplaces have become extremely popular in recent years. These options are great for travel nurses because they’re furnished and utilities are included.

In this section, we’ll discuss the general issues for travel nurses to consider when they use these services. Then, we’ll take a deeper look at the two most popular lodging marketplaces for travel nurses, Airbnb and VRBO. Finally, we’ll provide a list of vacation rental and shared-space websites for your convenience.

Travel nurses are Vacation Rental Power Users

Vacation rental hosts typically publish daily rates that fall between the rental market and the hotel market. That is, they’re not as cheap as renting, and they’re not quite as expensive as hotels.

However, it’s important for travel nurses to remember that they are power-users in the vacation rental market.  Travel nurses will typically stay 13 to 26 weeks. Meanwhile, Airbnb’s average length of stay is 4.3 nights.

As power-users, travel nurses face unique circumstances. First, it’s more difficult for travel nurses to find housing on vacation rental sites. Many hosts are not open to long-term stays for one reason or another. Moreover, many properties are already booked for some portion of your desired stay.

Don’t let either scenario stop you from reaching out to hosts for properties that you’re interested in. Every once in a while, a host will cancel future reservations in favor of the long-term stay. Moreover, you’ll find that some property owners who seem averse to long-term stays will change their tune when they discover that you’re a travel nurse.

The best approach is to message any property owner that has a property that even appears to be a good fit. The rate of response will be low. However, this “spay and prey” approach will save you time.

Second, as a power user, you should disregard the published rates. Upon your connecting with a possible lead, you should always ask them if they can offer a special rate given the duration of your stay. We’ve seen travelers get more than 50% off the published rate.

Next, it’s important to note that hosts typically do not post their properties on more than one of the major vacation rental sites. There is no information available as to whether or not they cross-post on smaller services.

For example, in 2014, HomeAway reported that only 6% of its listings could also be found on Airbnb. In 2019, AirDNA , a data analytics company, reported that 20% of the total number of listings on both Airbnb and HomeAway were listed on both sites.

Therefore, you should at least consider searching all the sites in order to find all the available options in your destination. Alternatively, you can search on vacation rental aggregators. These services aggregate listings from the various different vacation rental sites. Here is a list of the largest vacation rental aggregators we are currently aware of:

• HomeToGo.com
• Tripping.com

Search First ask Questions Later

Next, we recommend that you search first and ask questions later. This will save you tons of time. There’s no point for you to spend hours researching the neighborhoods and other granular details of each property when there is a very good chance that the property could be too expensive or unavailable.

Instead, use the platforms’ search tools to organize and save the options you’re interested in. Then, send a canned message explaining your situation and inquiring if the property is a viable option. This way, you spend time researching only those properties that are amenable to your requirements.

General Problems with Vacation Rentals

Next, it’s important to remember that rental properties sometimes have problems. The fact that your stays will be long-term means your chance of experiencing problems increases.

Meanwhile, many property owners manage their own vacation rentals. Moreover, many of them are in remote locations. There is rarely an onsite apartment manager who can handle issues immediately.

Therefore, it’s important to make sure that you know how the host handles problems when they arise. First, inquire directly with the host about this issue. Also, read the reviews for mentions of problems and how the host handled them.

Vacation Rental Taxes for Travel Nurses

Travel nurses should also be mindful of short-term rental taxes. As we mentioned above, these taxes vary dramatically by state, county and city. That said, there are some general issues specific to vacation rental services for you to be aware of.

First, some locations have laws that require vacation rental websites to collect and remit short-term property taxes. In that case, you will see the taxes as a line item in the price on the website.

However, most locations do not yet have laws requiring rental sites to manage the taxes. In some cases, there are no taxes, so there is nothing to worry about. In other cases, the property owner is responsible for managing the taxes.

Most vacation rental sites give their hosts the ability to add a tax amount in the system. If the host uses that service, then you will see the taxes as a line item in the price on the website.

Watch out for surprise tax bills

However, some hosts may try to collect the taxes outside the website. They might send you a bill. According to the Airbnb representative we spoke with, Airbnb has a policy that requires hosts to include taxes in the property’s description if they plan to collect taxes outside the system. Therefore, you should always check for that detail in the description. And, if you ever have a problem with this, then you can contact Airbnb to remediate the issue.

Unfortunately, we do not know how other vacation rental sites handle this matter. Please inquire with the host if this is important to you.

Next, let’s take a look at the two vacation rental services travel nurses use the most, Airbnb and HomeAway/VRBO. While vacation rental services are similar to one another, there are differences that travelers should know about in order to get the most out of them.

We’ll start with the most popular vacation rental site. Airbnb got its start with shared rentals. They eventually started listing entire properties. Now, reports indicate that more than two-thirds of the site’s listings are for entire properties.

Airbnb was originally focused on large urban areas like San Francisco and New York City. However, they now have a much wider reach. For example, a search for Omaha, Nebraska returned over 300 results.

That said, it’s probably still fair to say that Airbnb has more shared offerings and a larger stock of properties in urban areas than most other sites. Either way, they are definitely the largest with over 7 million properties worldwide .

Airbnb Long-Term Stay Policy

It’s important for travel nurses to understand that Airbnb has specific long-term stay policies and procedures. Airbnb defines long-term stays as stays of 28 days or more.

Hosts can select one of two long-term stay policies to apply to their properties. Their long-term stay policy is automatically applied to all long-term reservations.

However, you can negotiate special considerations with the host. Airbnb recommends that you use their messaging system to communicate about special considerations. This way, they can help mediate any disputes that may arise.

When you make a long-term reservation, you will see the total price for the entire stay. However, Airbnb will charge you only for the first month at the time you book the reservation. Then, they will charge you each month from the reservation start-date until the end of the reservation.

Long-Term Stay Cancellation Policy

When it comes to cancellations, there are 3 distinct time periods that travel nurses should be aware of. The first time period is before your stay begins. The cancellation policy during this timeframe varies depending on which of Airbnb’s 2 long-term cancellation policies the host chose.

If the host chose the Strict Long-Term policy, then you must cancel within 48 hours of booking, and the cancellation must occur at least 28 days before check-in to receive a full refund. If you cancel after that, but before your stay begins, then you will still have to pay for the first 30 days of the reservation.

If the host chose the Flexible Long-Term policy, then you can get a full refund if you cancel at least 30 days before check-in.

The second time period travel nurses should be aware of pertains to Airbnb’s “Guest Refund Policy”. Essentially, you have up to 72 hours after checking in to report problems to Airbnb that would cause you to want to cancel the reservation. Airbnb provides a specific set of qualifying issues. You can learn about those issues by reviewing Airbnb’s Guest Refund Policy .

Finally, if you need to cancel the reservation during your stay, then you must pay for the 30 days following the cancellation date or up to the end of the reservation, whichever is shorter. This essentially amounts to a 30-day notice. To cancel a reservation during your stay, you need to modify the reservation end date on Airbnb.

Negotiating Special Considerations with Hosts on Airbnb

With all this in mind, we can discuss some of the special considerations you might want to negotiate with your Airbnb host. First, you can try to negotiate a shorter notice period, 15 days instead of 30, for example. Airbnb will still charge you for 30 days, but the host can refund you.

If you’re short on cash, then you may be able to negotiate weekly payments. Unfortunately, we are not certain how this would work, but we have seen travel nurses who claim to have done it.

Next, you should evaluate the cleaning fees. Hosts control the cleaning fees. Therefore, you want to make sure that the host does not charge you more than is reasonable.

Finally, you may want to attempt to negotiate a non-refundable deposit in an effort to avoid various risks and charges. For example, offer the host a few hundred dollars to avoid any costs related to cancellation. We’re not huge fans of this idea, but many travel nurses use it.

How to Use VRBO for Travel Nurse Housing

VRBO is another vacation rental platform that is popular with travel nurses. Originally, HomeAway owned VRBO. Then, Expedia bought HomeAway and consolidated all of HomeAway’s brands into VRBO.

VRBO has over 2 million listings worldwide . It sounds much smaller than Airbnb, but VRBO does not allow shared spaces. They are “committed to offering a whole home experience”.

How Travel Nurses Pay on VRBO

VRBO’s policies and procedures for long-term stays are much different than Airbnb’s. In fact, VRBO does not have a dedicated long-term stay policy. Instead, the same rules apply for all lengths of stay.

There are several important issues for travel nurses to consider. First, VRBO provides hosts with three options for collecting payments . They can collect payments all at once, in two installments, or in three installments.

Hosts can also control what percentage of the total cost each payment is for. For example, the first payment could be for 20%, the second for 40% and the third for 40%.

However, VRBO charges the guest for ALL applicable taxes and fees for the entire reservation on the first payment. That means the first payment could be substantially larger for travel nurses.

Most importantly , VRBO requires guests to pay the full cost of the entire stay before the check-in date. Therefore, we strongly urge travel nurses to negotiate incremental bookings with their hosts. You should not pay for 13 weeks of rent in advance. There is simply too much risk involved.

How Can Travel Nurses Split Their Payments on VRBO

Start by asking the host if they will allow you to book the property in increments. The increments could be any number of weeks at time. However, we recommend that you not exceed 30 days.

For example, you might book the property for the first 30 days. Then, you book the next 30 days on some date that you and the host agree on. Each time you book, you will pay based on the payment plan and cancellation policy the host has selected. We discuss the cancellation policies below.

The host can manage the property’s availability using the instant-booking and block-scheduling features they have access to. This makes sure that the property does not get booked by someone else for the future dates that you plan to book it for.

Knowing how all of this works allows you to help the host figure it out if they don’t know how to do it already.

Now, it’s possible that the host is willing to give you an amazing deal if you book and pay for your entire stay all at once. If you choose this option, then we strongly encourage you to negotiate a 30-day notice. In this case, the host would allow you to provide a 30-day notice and give you a refund for any unused balance beyond the 30-day period.

However, you must know that the host could simply break the agreement and refuse to refund you. Again, this is why we recommend that you book in increments on Vrbo.

VRBO Cancellation Policy for Travel Nurses

In any case, you will be subject to Vrbo’s standard payment and cancellation policy. Vrbo’s standard cancellation policy lets hosts choose 1 of 4 payment/cancellation policies for their property.

This article will not cover each policy in detail. However, we urge you review the policies here . That said, we will cover some cancellation scenarios that travel nurses should be aware of.

Cancelling Before Your Stay Begins

If you have to cancel before your stay begins on VRBO, then you will be subject to whichever cancellation policy the host selected for that property. The strictest policy calls for no refund at all. The most lenient policy calls for a full refund if you cancel the booking more than 14 days in advance, a 50% refund if you cancel 7 days in advance and no refund if you cancel within 7 days of the start.

Cancelling After Your Stay Begins

Vrbo makes it very difficult for you to cancel your stay after it begins. You can submit a cancellation request to the host via the VRBO platform. However, the host is under no obligation to accept it. And remember, you’ve already paid for the full cost of the entire stay.

Even if the host does accept your cancellation request, Vrbo does not take any action to refund you. Only the host can refund you. If disputes arise, then you can try to handle them with Vrbo’s assistance or through formal legal channels.

As we mentioned above, there are many vacation-rental services that travel nurses might use to locate housing. Remember, the rules are different from service to service. Therefore, it’s imperative to do your research on things like cancellation policies and negotiating special considerations with the hosts.

Here is a list of general vacation-rental and share-rental services for travel nurses:

• TripAdvisor
• Flipkey (a TripAdvisor brand)
• Holiday Lettings (a TripAdvisor brand)
• HomeStay.com
• CouchSurfing
• Rotating Room

As we mentioned above, length-of-stay is the biggest problem you will encounter when you find your own travel nurse housing. You will undoubtedly encounter friction related to length-of-stay on any of the general housing services we listed above.

Furniture and utilities are also problems when you find your own travel nurse housing. However, you only face these problems when you engage in a traditional rental agreement.

The great news is that there are a few housing services that cater specifically to travel healthcare professionals. Essentially, these services help you avoid problems with furniture and length-of-stay. We’ll take a look at these services next.

How to Use Furnished Finder for Travel Nurse Housing

Furnished Finder and their subsidiary website TravelNurseHousing.com specialize in stays of 30 days or more. Therefore, they’re in the sweet-spot that travel nurses need. Additionally, Furnished Finder lists only furnished properties. They list both shared spaces and full units.

The easiest way to manage your travel nursing career.

Travel nurses can create a profile and search for housing options using Furnished Finder’s property map. When you find a property that matches your needs, you simply contact the host.

You can contact the host via Furnished Finder’s messaging system. Or, you can contact the host directly as most hosts provide their contact information in the listing.

Alternatively, you can submit a “Housing Request” on Furnished Finder. Essentially, you let Furnished Finder know what you’re looking for and they contact hosts with properties that match your needs. The host will contact you via Furnished Finder’s messaging system.

When you find a fit, you book the property directly with the host. Furnished Finder does not get involved with the transaction in any way which means there are no fees for travel nurses. However, Furnished Finder does vet the hosts and properties before listing them. This means there are safeguards to prevent scams.

Furnished Finder has over 25,000 listings on their site. We recommend using them for all of your housing searches. If you can’t find something there, then branch out to other options.

How to Use Transplant Housing for Travel Nurses

Transplant Housing is focused on meeting the needs of travel healthcare professionals. As such, hosts expect stays of 30 days to 6 months or more. Additionally, the site lists furnished properties of all types.

Overall, the website provides many of the same features as Furnished Finder. And, like Furnished Finder, the actual rental transaction takes place between the traveler and the host directly.

Transplant Housing has fewer listings than Furnished Finder. However, we highly recommend utilizing the service as they can simplify the search process immensely for travel healthcare professionals.

How to Use HouseStay for Travel Nurse Housing

HouseStay is another interesting option for travel nurses. The platform offers fully furnished apartments and homes for stays of 30 days or more. One of the key differences between HouseStay and Furnished Finder is that HouseStay manages the contracts and payments instead of having you work those details out with the property owner. Here is a link to their cancellation policies .

HouseStay has a smaller number of listings compared to other services. However, given that they specialize in stays of 30 days or more, they’re a good option for travel nurses to consider.

Facebook Groups for Travel Nurse Housing

There are a number of Facebook Groups devoted to travel nurse housing. Simply request to join and they will undoubtedly accept you.

Property managers can list their properties using standard group posts. They can also post their properties in the “Files” section of the group. You can expect that property owners are open to a travel nurse’s ideal length-of-stay given that the groups are devoted to the topic.

Travel nurses can browse the listings and conduct searches using the search feature Facebook provides for groups. Travel nurses can also post housing requests themselves and wait for property owners to respond.

While you may have some luck with these groups, the reality is that they are subpar resources for several reasons. First, the search features are inadequate. Facebook limits the number of search results they display. Moreover, Facebook Groups lack the robust search filters necessary to help you hone in on your desired housing characteristics.

Second, there are no safeguards to prevent scams in Facebook Groups. Moreover, some of the groups are “public” which means anyone can see all group members’ posts. This isn’t a big deal on sites like Craigslist where your identity is anonymous. But Facebook requires you to use your real identity.

Here is a list of Facebook Groups devoted to travel nurse housing:

• Travel Nursing: Places/Rooms For Rent
• Traveling Nurse Housing
• Travel Nurse Housing USA – Private & Shared Rooms, Apartments, Sublets
• Travel Nurse Housing – The Gypsy Nurse
• Travel Nurse Housing – Furnished Finder
• Gypsy Soul Travel Nurse Housing Options
• Nomadic Nursing – A Travel Nurse Housing Page
• Travel Nurse Housing Rentals by Landlords
• Travel Nurse Rooms for Rent
• Housing the country, one hospital at a time!

TravelingNurseCorporateHousing.com

Despite the name, TravelingNurseCorporateHousing.com isn’t strictly devoted to travel healthcare professionals. The website is owned by a company called Corporate Housing By Owner.

The advantage of this service for travel healthcare professionals is that it should display only properties that are willing to accept month-to-month lease agreements. Moreover, most of the options are already furnished. Additionally, many of the options include the cost of utilities and have all the basic services, such as cable and internet, already set up.

However, we’re not certain if CHBO is still actively managing TravelNurseCorporateHousing.com. That said, there are properties listed there, so it’s worth a shot.

As you can see, you have many options to secure your own travel nurse housing. Your level of flexibility will be a big factor in determining the time and cost of securing your own housing. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages. In every case, you need to make sure you cover all the bases so you’re not caught off guard with unexpected costs or responsibilities. We hope this article helps you avoid all the pitfalls and find the best options for you!

Related posts:

• Should You Take Travel Nurse Agency Housing or Find Your Own? This article covers all the issues travel nurses need to...
• Travel Nurse Housing – Advantages and Tips for Company Provided Housing In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the...
• The Ultimate Guide to Travel Nurse Agency Housing Accepting travel nursing company provided housing is more complicated than...

Yes, appreciate it. Thanks and keep up the great work.

Great article. I’m a real estate investor and a nurse and have only recently stumbled across this underserved niche of short term rentals. On average per month how many rental property owners per would you say reach out to you with this question? I’m currently brainstorming ideas on how to serve both of these groups by bringing them together.

We get about 10 property owners per month contacting us. We refer them to FurnishedFinder.com. I hope this helps!!

More options than I imagined. Thanks for all the useful information. Rick Cornelius

Good article with useful information. Mahalo!

Great information, thank you very much. Domenic Di Maggio

Thank you for providing this information! I currently only use Craigslist (for the last 10 years), but I may look into these other options!

We’re glad to hear the information is useful, Greg!

Hi Kelly ~ I did the same with Furnished Finder, what other websites did you use or that you find effective? Thanks for your help! Betsy

FYI, I tried using Furnished Finder and after spending almost an hour inputting a listing, there was a Surprise! fee of $99 to post. Not free.

Thanks for letting us know, Kelly! They must have changed their pricing since this article was posted. I’ll get the article updated. Thanks again!

Comments are closed.

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The Ultimate Guide to Travel Nursing Housing Options

Table of Contents

As a travel nurse, one of the most important aspects of planning an assignment is securing proper housing. But with so many options to choose from, how do you know which one is right for you? In this article, we will explore different travel nurse housing options and compare the pros and cons of each. We will also discuss how to find and secure your ideal travel nurse housing, as well as financial assistance and housing stipends for travel nursing.

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Exploring Different Travel Nurse Housing Options

Travel nurse housing options vary greatly depending on the location, length of the travel nurse assignment, and personal preferences of the traveling healthcare professional. Understanding the available options can help in making informed choices and ensuring a comfortable stay during assignments.

Finding the Perfect Travel Nurse Housing

There are multiple approaches to finding the right travel nurse housing. One popular option is utilizing a travel nurse housing site . Specialized websites, like Furnished Finder, offer a variety of affordable housing options to suit different needs and preferences. Many travel nursing companies also have dedicated teams to assist with housing arrangements. However, it is essential to consider factors like distance from the hospital, amenities, and safety when browsing housing site listings.

Comparing Housing Options for Travel Nurses

Different travel nurse housing options can be compared based on factors such as convenience, cost, and available amenities. For short-term assignments, extended-stay hotels like Extended Stay America can be an excellent choice. These hotels cater specifically to traveling healthcare professionals and provide furnished accommodations with essential amenities such as Wi-Fi, laundry, and kitchen facilities.

For longer assignments, apartment rentals can be the preferred choice for many travel nurses. Airbnb, Furnished Finder, or local classified listings can be great resources for finding travel nurse housing. These options allow healthcare workers to have a bit more space and comfort in a home-like setting. Considering factors such as cost, proximity to the hospital, and amenities can aid in narrowing down options based on individual preferences.

Understanding the Benefits of Provided Housing

Many travel nursing companies provide travel nurse housing arrangements as a part of their compensation package. Provided housing is generally a fully furnished accommodation arranged by the travel nursing company, taking care of the nurse's needs during the travel nurse assignment. Some advantages of using provided housing include convenience, reduced stress in finding accommodations, and potential cost savings if the company is covering all associated living expenses.

While provided housing may lack customization and not be the nurse's first preference, it is essential to weigh the pros and cons to determine if this option is the best fit for an individual's traveling healthcare professional journey.

How to Find and Secure Your Ideal Travel Nurse Housing

Tips for finding the best travel nurse housing.

As a traveling healthcare professional, ensuring that you find comfortable and affordable housing options for your travel assignment is crucial. Here are some tips that can help you find the best travel nurse housing:

1. Research and make a list of travel nurse housing options in your assignment area. Utilize housing websites, travel nursing companies, and online forums to gather information on available spaces and their corresponding costs.

2. Connect with other travel nurses and healthcare workers who have experience in your destination area. Networking can help you learn about personal experiences, get neighborhood recommendations, and gain insights about potential housing opportunities. Join social media groups like Facebook housing groups for travel healthcare professionals to gather valuable information, advice, and resources.

3. Verify and compare different housing options by considering factors such as location, proximity to the hospital, safety, amenities, and cost. Take your time to assess each alternative and ensure it meets your requirements for a comfortable and convenient stay.

4. Contact the housing site or landlord to discuss lease terms, policies, and any additional fees or charges that may apply. If a housing stipend is provided as a part of your compensation package, ensure that the housing's cost aligns with the stipend's amount.

5. Many transplant housing options may have additional benefits not advertised. When discussing housing options, ask landlords or housing providers if their transplant housing offers discounted rates, flexible lease terms, or any other incentives for traveling healthcare professionals.

6. Once you find your ideal travel nurse housing, act promptly and complete the necessary paperwork to secure the space. Remember that housing availability may change rapidly in popular travel assignment locations, and delaying the process can result in losing the accommodation of your choice.

As a traveling healthcare professional, finding the perfect travel nurse housing can significantly impact your overall experience on assignments. By exploring the available housing options, comparing costs and amenities, and securing your ideal housing, you can ensure a comfortable stay as you focus on providing crucial healthcare services to patients in need.

Financial Assistance and Housing Stipends for Travel Nursing

Travel nurse housing options are crucial for traveling healthcare professionals, as finding affordable housing options in a new city can be a challenge. Most travel nursing companies provide financial assistance to their healthcare workers in the form of a housing stipend. The housing stipend is a predetermined amount of money that the travel nurse can use to cover their accommodation expenses during a travel nurse assignment.

Travel nurses often receive a housing stipend in addition to their hourly pay, which helps them find suitable accommodations depending on their preferences and personal needs. The stipend amount varies depending on factors such as the location of the assignment, the cost of living in the area, and the duration of the contract. Healthcare professionals should be keen on comparing different housing stipend offers from various travel nursing companies to ensure they get the best deal.

It’s essential for travel nurses to familiarize themselves with travel nurse housing sites and housing groups, as these platforms can help them find suitable and affordable accommodations in their assigned areas. Some popular housing sites for traveling healthcare professionals include Furnished Finder, Travel Nursing Central, and BluePipes. Travel nurses can also join Facebook housing groups that are dedicated to helping healthcare professionals find housing solutions in particular regions.

Maximizing Your Housing Stipend on a Travel Assignment

Travel nurses can maximize their housing stipends by being proactive and resourceful when it comes to looking for accommodation options. It's crucial to consider various travel healthcare professionals' housing options and transplant housing offers to find the perfect fit. The following strategies can help travel nurses make the most of their housing stipends:

1. Start your search early: Begin looking for housing options as soon as you accept a travel nurse assignment to ensure you have ample time to compare different accommodations and secure the best deal.

2. Utilize housing sites and groups: Join housing groups on social media platforms like Facebook and take advantage of housing sites that are specifically designed for travel nurses. These resources can help you find better deals and connect with other healthcare professionals who are also in search of housing.

3. Be flexible: You may find more affordable housing options if you are open to a variety of living arrangements, including staying with roommates or considering different types of accommodations such as extended-stay hotels, rental properties, or even Airbnb listings.

4. Negotiate with landlords: Don't be afraid to negotiate rental agreements with potential landlords. You may be able to secure a better deal or additional amenities by discussing your needs and budget with the property owner.

5. Take advantage of discounts: Some travel nursing companies have partnerships with accommodation providers such as Extended Stay America that offer special discounts to healthcare professionals. Make sure to inquire with your travel nursing company about any available offers.

Pros and Cons of Housing Stipends for Travel Nurses

There are both advantages and disadvantages associated with housing stipends for travel nurses. Understanding them can help healthcare professionals make informed decisions about their travel nurse housing options.

1. Flexibility: Housing stipends give travel nurses the freedom to choose their accommodations based on personal preferences and needs.

2. Potential for savings: If travel nurses can secure a housing option that costs less than the stipend amount, they may pocket the remaining funds as additional income.

3. Control over living arrangements: Travel nurses receiving a housing stipend have the ability to decide on their roommates or choose a living situation that matches their lifestyle, such as pet-friendly accommodations or proximity to specific amenities.

1. Time-consuming: Travel nurses are responsible for finding their accommodations when receiving a housing stipend, which can be a challenging and time-consuming process, especially in competitive housing markets.

2. Additional responsibilities: With a housing stipend, travel nurses may also be responsible for managing lease agreements, utilities, and other aspects of their accommodations, which can add to their workload.

3. Financial risk: If a travel nurse is unable to secure housing within the stipend amount, they may incur additional costs by paying the difference out of pocket.

Choosing Between a Stipend and Provided Housing

Travel nurses may find themselves weighing the option of choosing between a housing stipend and provided housing. Provided housing refers to accommodations arranged and paid for by the travel nursing company, relieving the healthcare professional of the responsibility of finding and securing their own lodging. The decision depends on the travel nurse's preferences, needs, and expectations for their living arrangements during the assignment. Here are some factors to consider when making this decision:

1. Personal priorities: Evaluate your living preferences, such as the desire for a private space versus sharing with roommates, proximity to specific amenities, or accommodating family members or pets.

2. Financial considerations: Assess the potential for savings or additional expenses when comparing provided housing and the housing stipend. Determine if either option outweighs the other in terms of financial gains or losses.

3. Time commitment: Consider the amount of time and effort you are willing to invest in searching for accommodations, negotiating rental agreements, and managing living arrangements. Opting for provided housing can save the travel nurse time, but may offer less flexibility and control over housing choices.

4. Duration of assignment: For shorter assignments, provided housing may be more convenient, while a longer assignment may warrant the added effort and flexibility associated with securing housing independently through a stipend.

Ultimately, the decision between a housing stipend and provided housing will depend on the travel nurse's personal preferences and priorities. By evaluating the various options and considering the factors discussed above, travel healthcare professionals can make an informed decision that best supports their lifestyle and overall goals during their travel nurse assignment.

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8 tips for finding the right travel nurse housing.

Veteran travel nurse Bob Goldnetz shares his tips on what to look for and mistakes to avoid when choosing a place to stay while on assignment.

Finding the right housing as a travel nurse can be a real hassle, and it’s the first thing I like to check off my to do list. Everything else can go swimmingly, but housing — and the atmosphere in your home — can make or break a contract. We all want a cozy and safe place to kick our feet up. The same goes for roommates. You want someone to vibe with who is respectful and considerate. Here are my travel nurse housing tips for finding the best locations and having a great experience.

1. Beware of “everything included”

Don’t fall into paying for utilities you may not be using, or for a period you’re not actually there. You also avoid getting hit with a surprise AC or heat bill in those outside average seasons. 

2. Avoid the lease

Opt for month to month. I try to protect myself by not signing a lease and avoiding a deposit although I can see the reasons a renter would require such things. I usually find that I’m able to meet the person before or have a conversation then come to an amicable agreement. If you do settle with a lease, include an “if contract cancelled clause” or the possibility to move out with appropriate notice. 

3. Be a lazyboy/girl

Go for furnished: it’s efficient to travel without bulky furniture that in reality you don’t need. On the other hand, on my most recent assignment I was able to furnish a friend’s room into a bedroom for relatively cheap, a win for both of us.

4. Do a walkthrough

Take pictures, have evidence of current damages, and meet the person beforehand. Get an idea of personal or habitation boundaries. Get the “hard passes” out in the open to save stress later. If you’re the type of person who likes to have people over, or are planning to have visitors stay with you, make sure this is conveyed up front. Going to have roommates? What is their schedule? What are they like? Are you on days and the area or roommates are noisy? This is easy intel to get out in the open early. 

5. Research based on your goals

Are you in New York and want to live in downtown Manhattan, or San Diego and want to be near the beach? Most of the time you get what you pay for. A little research goes a long way into seeing what the norm for an area is. That being said, if you want the awesome loft in Seattle within walking distance of Pike Place Market , you may only be in Seattle once, go for it! 

6. Use all the search options

There are many different ways to find housing. Here’s what I’ve learned through experience about each option.

• Airbnb: I have used Airbnb twice for assignments. Both times were only for a couple weeks until I felt settled, then I found a spot I preferred for the rest of my assignment. Make some inquiries in the area, and if possible, arrive early prior to assignment, or plan to look around after the first week. Airbnb or a hotel can be an easy, carefree way to have short term stability. Stay at the Airbnb or hotel for a week or so until you find a good fit. This allows you to actually go see places and meet people and not worry about where you will be sleeping when you arrive. 
• Craigslist : Don’t shake your head at it! I have had the most amazing luck with landlords and roommates. In Denver my landlord and other roommate became hiking, biking, and rock-climbing buddies. The house was a hit for my assignment with its multiple grills and fire pits. Some communities have their own version of Craigslist. I found a spot through this that had me 2 blocks from the hospital and a new friend who taught me how to fly fish, a bucket list thing I had always wanted to do.
• Rentler : This is a free property listing and property management site. I like this site as it gives me a base of what is normal to pay for housing in the area. The site offers great photos, informative descriptions, and renter requirements.
• Furnished Finder : I have used this site as a comparative tool but never actually utilized it for housing. The site advertises use by travel nurses, locum tenens, and medical staffing companies. Their basis is to be a specialized resource for greater than 30-day stays, and as it says in the name, it’s furnished!
• Zumper : Another good housing search engine that lets you filter by location, price, pet-friendly, and amenity. They also have a real-time alert feature that will let you be one of the first to know about new listings.
• Facebook : It’s a beautiful thing. Facebook Marketplace , FB interest groups, city-specific housing, and the travel nurse FB groups are excellent resources! The Marketplace has an easily navigable page, and you may even have a mutual friend of a person renting. Most cities have a FB housing site. In Denver and Alaska, I was on the city’s FB housing site and was able to make a lot of connections. On another assignment I used the Salt Lake City Climbing Partner Finder FB group and found a roommate with common interests. Through Travel Nurse Housing FB, I found a spot in southern Oregon with a landlord who focused on renting to travelers. Her home was the nicest place I have ever stayed. My roommate there, a fellow travel nurse and now surf partner, has become a close friend. With so many travelers in different places I would be shocked if you weren’t able to make a connection!
• RNnetwork’s housing team : If you want someone to do all the heavy lifting, RNnetwork has a housing team that can do everything from finding you multiple options to choose from to lease negotiation. This can be a huge time savings, and they have housing connections in most cities that you wouldn’t.

7. Get unpacked ASAP

Seems like common sense, but get the car unpacked as soon as possible. You probably don’t know the areas you’re stopping through. Unfortunately, some people may like what they see in your front seat.

8. Be wary of cons and scams

It’s not actually an African prince on the other side of your computer! If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t wire money without seeing a place, it may not exist. PayPal has a secure payment feature, look into it. Better to pay 3% than lose everything.

At the end of the day we all do the best we can, so try not to let the housing thing stress you out . It’s all part of the travel nursing experience. Some of the most unique circumstances I have been in were from the housing I picked and the people I met. 

Interested in learning more about travel nursing? Call us for more information at  800.866.0407  or  view today’s job openings .

Article updated on 7/27/2022.

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About the author

Bob Goldnetz

Bob Goldnetz is an ICU travel nurse whose goal is to follow his hobbies across the world and experience as many cultures, cuisines, and cups of coffee along the way as he can. When he’s not taking care of patients, he’s probably traveling abroad or out-of-cell-service backpacking, snowboarding, skiing, surfing, mountain biking, paragliding, or rock climbing.

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Finding Housing: Agency vs. Stipend

Housing can make or break your assignment experience. To help you decide which works best for your lifestyle, here’s a comparative look on the two most common options.

Other Housing Options

Travel nurse housing sites.

There are dedicated websites for travel nurse lodging such as: Airbnb – https://www.airbnb.com/ Furnished Finder – https://www.furnishedfinder.com/ VRBO – https://www.vrbo.com/ Hotel Engine – https://members.hotelengine.com/join/stabilityhc Kopa – https://www.kopa.co/kopa-for-good Snap Stays – https://snapstays.com/?utm_source=jpnursebd

Facebook Groups – Travel Nurse Housing The Gypsy Nurse: https://www.thegypsynurse.com/housing/

We also recommend to clinicians to always look at monthly or longer stay bookings as the prices are typically reduced due to the length of stay.

They present housing options that are:

• Fully equipped
• Near hospitals
• Have short-term lease

They offer a wide array of lodging options — from private rooms to complete apartments, and may have bonus features such as incorporating utilities in the monthly rent or being pet-friendly.

Extended-Stay Hotels

Staying at hotels can be a terrific option when you are looking for convenience.

Hotels often provide perks such as:

• Free continental breakfast
• Fully furnished kitchen or kitchenettes
• Bed and kitchen linens
• Pool and hot tub
• Workout facilities
• Events for guests

Ask your nursing recruiter if they have partner hotels that give discounts.

Friends and Relatives

Living with your friends or family is always an option. You can spend quality time with them, and save some money. If those sound good to you then this is a great option to consider.

Housing Considerations

To help you choose the best lodging option that fits your priorities, here are some questions you should ask yourself before finalizing your decision.

General Considerations

Experienced travel nurses prefer self-placement because it allows them to maximize their earning potential. Let’s imagine your rental agency will pay you $3200 per month to find a place to live. If you can get a rental property for $1200, you can save the remaining $2,000.

Are you looking for a way to get a better income? Is it more vital to go on a new adventure? If you want to make as much money as possible, finding your own lodging and taking advantage of the non-taxable travel nurse housing stipend may be the ideal option. You need to have your mind cleared regarding why you are taking on the job.

The typical duration of a travel nurse assignment is 12-13 weeks or three months. This makes it difficult to find rental properties, as even most short-term contracts begin at six months. Monthly furnished rentals are now available through Furnished Finder for traveling professionals who want the convenience and stability of a real home without the credit checks and applications that come with it. But any traveling healthcare workers should visit any travel nurse housing sites, or any housing platform for that matter, and leave no stone unturned in their search.

Any housing-related questions should be answered by your recruiter. Most travel nurse companies strive to maintain accommodation as close to the hospital as possible—usually within a 30-minute commute—but each location will have its own set of alternatives.

When it comes to parking, each area will have its own set of rules. Off-site parking can add time to a daily journey, so it’s crucial to know ahead of time what the situation is. Some hospitals or healthcare facilities charge fees for parking in staff lots, while others provide shuttle service to and from lots farther distant from the facility.

Most travel nurses declare a home base (which allows them to receive the additional stipends because they are only considered to be “traveling” if their destinations are a certain distance from their homes) and usually have financial obligations related to that home base, family members, or personal finances such as loans, medical expenses, transportation, and so on.

Furnished apartments should include all essential items, such as tables, seats, lights, and mattresses. Except in places where it is difficult to bring a car, travelers must carry their own cooking supplies, devices, and linens.

Your housing may be located close to the medical facilities, but is it safe? Do basic research regarding the neighborhood where you’re going to live before accepting any travel nursing job.

Housing Stipend Considerations

A housing stipend is a certain amount of money built into your contract to cover the cost of accommodation while you’re on assignment. This can include funds for accommodation, transportation, and food. The stipend is provided weekly through your paycheck and is based on a monthly rate. If you choose a monthly stipend, you will be responsible for your own accommodation and utilities.

A few travel nurses will sell their homes, store their belongings, and travel without a “home” where they can pay rent or a mortgage. In this case, any funds raised for housing will be taxed at the standard rate. You can collect any money granted for accommodation without paying taxes if you have a tax home established wherever you are from. This can make a big difference in your take-home money, especially if you can locate affordable lodging wherever you go.

Simply defined, your tax home is where you earn the majority of your nursing income. For many travel nurses, their tax home is their permanent address, which is the address on their driver’s license.

You may be asking why the GSA refers to it as “Per Diem,” but we refer to it as a “stipend.” The Latin term “per diem” means “per day.” The GSA gives lodging charges as daily figures. For example, the current Per Diem lodging rate in Sacramento, CA is $145 per day. A “stipend,” on the other hand, is a “set recurring sum received as a wage or allowance.” Because most agencies pay their lodging reimbursements in lump sums, this term is better suited to the travel healthcare sector. They usually pay them on a weekly or bimonthly basis. Furthermore, most agencies quote their housing reimbursements as a monthly amount. Also, adopting the term stipend avoids the ambiguity caused by the healthcare industry’s usage of the term “per diem” to refer to daily or on-call staffing.

If they spend their whole stipend on accommodation and only take home $25 after taxes and insurance, the majority of travel nurses would be unable to cover their complete expenses at home and while on assignment. As a result, while assessing whether or not a pay package will fit your budget, you must consider the entire package.

Most recruiters will structure their pay packages to maximize pay while staying under particular taxable ranges. This means that while the housing stipend may appear to be generous, you may be earning a lesser hourly wage (imagine $25 per hour).

For travel nurse lodging, there is no defined stipend amount. While housing stipends vary per agency, each must adhere to the Government Services Administration’s guidelines (GSA). Furthermore, the amount granted for travel nurse lodging is determined by the following factors:

• The assignment’s location.
• Season of the year.

The pay for housing for a travel nurse is determined by the next three factors:

Assignment location Due to the higher cost of living in some areas of the country, travel assignments in those areas pay higher stipends. Living expenses in larger cities, such as New York City, San Francisco, or Los Angeles, are likely to be more than in a tiny town in Missouri or Iowa, for example. As a result, the GSA stipend maximum will very certainly be higher in such places.

Time of the year Let’s say you’ve always wanted to work in Florida during the winter. Because of the increased winter population in the state, the GSA may increase the stipend limit for the winter months to account for rising living costs and a lack of affordable homes at that time of year.

Type of housing Naturally, a travel nurse who chooses to live in a two-bedroom apartment will pay significantly more per month for accommodation than a nurse who decides to live in an Airbnb studio.

Housing Tips

Packing tips, important documents, electronics, personal items, first-aid kit, household items, pet supplies, independent housing tips, if it looks too good to be true, it is, research your potential landlord online.

• Use your instincts; they’re generally correct.
• Verify that the visuals correspond to the price. ­
• It’s almost certainly a con if the photographs are stunning, yet the rent is ridiculously low.
• Never send money to anyone. Scammers are online bullies who prey on stranded tourists.

Vacation rentals yield good results

Extended hotel stay is an option, housing faqs.

Yes, if you accept agency-provided housing and do not request any upgrades. The answer is also yes if you take the housing allowance and find anything within that budget. You’ll have to spend more if you want luxuries like two bedrooms, a vacuum, or a washer/dryer in the housing. Similarly, if you can’t find what you want for the stipend amount, you may have to pay for it yourself.

Most agencies cover the cost of utilities (gas, electricity, and water) up to a certain point; you might have to pay extra if going past an amount. Cable and internet are normally paid for by travel nurses, though some companies may reimburse them, especially in cases of short-term stays.

For the most part, the agency will supply the following:

• Queen-size bed, one-night stand, one dresser, and a lamp in the bedroom
• Dining area: Four chairs at a small kitchen table
• Couch, chair, end table, coffee table, lamp, and TV stand in the living room Dishes, linens, a television, mattress, and a vacuum cleaner are all considered extras that will increase the cost. A washer/dryer and even a microwave are not often included in the usual package. Some of these items are negotiable.

If you ask, the housing team on most staffing firms will give you two to three housing choices if they have more than one. You’ll hear the disclaimer that just because you put in a request doesn’t mean it’ll be fulfilled.

The amount of the housing stipend is defined by the contract, the city, and how the specific agency divides its compensation package. As a result, each travel nursing assignment may pay you a different amount.

Most of the time, no. On the other hand, you may be forced to share a room with another nurse or take a lesser income in return for a private room because of short-term assignments. This is something you should be aware of before applying for the job.

Yes! It’s something you’ll want to talk about with your recruiter right away. They’ll have to look for pet-friendly homes, and you’ll almost certainly be required to pay a pet deposit.

This does, unfortunately, happen in agency-placed housing. Contact your recruiter right away, and they’ll most likely solve the situation if it’s genuinely bad. It is recommended doing your homework before leaving on an assignment as it will help you avoid unpleasant housing surprises.

It could be any of the aforementioned, as well as a hotel. If your assignment takes you to a big city, you’ll most likely be living in an apartment complex. However, in smaller places with fewer alternatives, there is greater diversity in where you may be placed.

Contact your staffing agency and the landlord immediately. The agency should offer to put you up in a hotel overnight if it’s not solved. Usually, issues are more minor than this, if they happen at all.

On a case-by-case basis, this will be decided. Travel nurses tend to face pushback if their organization is locked into a lease that they can’t get out of. They should, however, address the issue if the home is in dire need of repair. However, if it’s just because you changed your mind because of personal preferences, relocating at the last minute can be challenging.

Taking the housing stipend carries a significant risk of having your contract terminated. If your contract is canceled, the hospital will usually notify your recruiter, who will then notify you. This tends to happen rapidly and with little warning. In rare situations, though, the hospital would give you two weeks’ notice before ending your contract, leaving you and your travel nursing recruiter time to find another assignment and agency-placed housing.

Finding Housing for Travel Nurses: Agency vs. Stipend

Housing can make or break your assignment experience. To help you decide which travel nurse housing works best for your lifestyle, here’s a comparative look at the two most common options: Agency-placed nurse housing and paying your housing stipend.

Other Travel Nurse Housing Options

As a traveling clinician, you have plenty of housing alternatives. Here are other common housing options you may consider.

There are dedicated online housing platforms for travel nurse lodging. If you aren’t familiar with them, some popular travel nurse housing websites are:

Airbnb – https://www.airbnb.com/ Furnished Finder – https://www.furnishedfinder.com/ VRBO – https://www.vrbo.com/ Hotel Engine – https://members.hotelengine.com/join/stabilityhc Kopa – https://www.kopa.co/kopa-for-good Snap Stays – https://snapstays.com/?utm_source=jpnursebd

Transplant Housing: https://www.transplanthousing.com/find

We also recommend healthcare professionals always include at monthly or longer stay bookings in their housing search as the prices are typically reduced due to the length of stay.

Staying at extended-stay hotels can be a terrific option for travel nurses when they are looking for convenience compared to short-term rentals.

Living with your friends or family is always an option. You can spend quality time with them and save some money. If those sound good to you, then this is a great option to consider.

To help you choose the best travel nurse housing option that fits your priorities, here are some questions you should ask yourself before finalizing your decision.

Travel Nurse Housing Tips

Whether you are an experienced travel nurse or just about to begin your first travel nurse assignment, finding housing may feel overwhelming. So we curated some tried-and-proven tips to help lessen the burden of finding the right accommodation and preparing for your next move.

The amount of items you need to pack will greatly depend on your housing arrangement. But for any assignment, these basic necessities should be in your packing list.

Store them in one secure container to avoid the hassle of transporting them from great distances or paying for replacements.

Make sure you have enough supplies to last you through the first few days. Be extra careful in packing liquids to avoid spills in your luggage.

It’s hard to survive our modern world without our devices. So be sure to pack your phone, tablet, laptop, etc. and their corresponding chargers and adaptors.

Even if you’re a seasoned travel nurse, it’s helpful to have a few items that remind you of your loved ones with you.

Having a first aid kit hand when you’re not at work is important. See here for recommended list.

Bring work clothes (e.g. scrubs) that fit your prospective employer’s criteria. Pro tip: check the average temperature inside and outside of your work location to pack accordingly.

The amount and type of household items you’ll need to bring is determined by the level of furnishing offered by your landlord or by the property owner.

Bring medications and a file (on paper or digital) with your pet’s health certificates and medical history, and contact information for the veterinarian who last treated them.

Finding a place that fits your stipend may appear daunting at first, but you have several resources at your disposal to make the process go smoothly and potentially save on housing costs. Consider the following before signing any documents:

On Craigslist, you can find a variety of housing options and alternatives, but they come at a price. You can’t believe everything you see on Craigslist. Someone will post a too-good-to-be-true Craigslist affordable housing offer, and you need to ask yourself whether it’s real or not. Thankfully, if you are part of a travel healthcare worker community, you can ask your fellow travelers about it and get great advice . Always do a background check on any place before saying yes to any offer.

And do background checks on your landlord as well.

Remember these three rules when dealing with potential landlords through email:

Websites that specialize in vacation rentals are a fantastic place to start. HomeAway, VRBO, and Airbnb are three of the most popular. Although they might not be specific sites for travel nurses and travel healthcare professionals, they offer some excellent housing possibilities and, for the most part, keep scammers at bay. Simply enter a location or state, and you’ll be able to see a large number of vacation rentals. You’ll need to filter out the houses that don’t make sense for you, just like any other site.

Travel nurses frequently use extended-stay hotels as a bridge between standard accommodation and as a housing alternative in and of itself. It’s a popular option for some travelers because of their wide range of services , such as breakfast, housekeeping, fitness facilities, and laundry facilities. Most hotels accept animals weighing up to 60 pounds. In addition, the majority of these hotels include kitchens, which can help you save money on food when traveling and give you a sense of home while you’re away on business. In addition, compared to an apartment, hotels offer more flexibility on the back end in the event that your job is unexpectedly canceled.

Travel Nurse Housing FAQs

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