A fulfilling job that lets you travel the country and comes with free, furnished housing? Yes please!
Travel nurses roam from assignment to assignment, helping patients and filling shifts wherever they are needed. And one great benefit of travel nursing is that staffing agencies will usually pay for all, or a portion of, a nurse’s housing, wherever they are working – a true rockstar lifestyle.
Here at Medely we offer tax-free stipends to cover your housing and meals while on assignment with us. In fact we offer them at the maximum rate for tax free stipends allowed by the federal government. This is just one of the ways we help travel nurses maximize their pay.
For many people, where to stay when travelling begins and ends with hotels. But ask any nurse who’s been in the travel game long enough: hotels get old fast, and are usually the most expensive option. And while many nurse staffing companies have dedicated housing options, most travel nurses prefer to find their own home away from home. Luckily, there are a multitude of options that provide comfortable, private housing for travel nurses This means no matter where the job takes you, you can feel at home.
Do’s and Don’ts: Travel Nurse Housing Sites
Looking for housing in general can be tricky. But looking for temporary, short term housing, often in a different state, requires some serious savvy. Here are some top tips to keep you safe and happy during your next travel nurse housing search.
DO: Your research. We know you’re busy. But whenever possible put in the time to look around for housing options near your next assignment. Don’t just grab the first one that catches your eye! Whether you’re looking at hotels, nursing-specific housing, or vacation rental sites, a little digging can often reveal great deals and better locations. Also: book your housing well ahead of time.
DON’T: Go through Craigslist or other private forums to find your housing. Scams are all too common and forums and classifieds lack the consumer protections that are built in to dedicated platforms. These scamscan spell disaster for a travel nurse just looking for a place to lay their head. If a listing seems too cheap for what it is, if the pictures don’t match, if the landlord is asking for exorbitant amounts of money upfront, or if everything looks a little too good to be true, it probably is.
DO: Know what you need out of your housing. Specific criteria help narrow your options and will save you endless hours of scrolling on AirBnB. The basic requirements might be: proximity to your assignment, appliances such as a washer and dryer, walking distance to stores or restaurants, and a safe neighborhood. Depending on your lifestyle you might also want to be near a gym or an animal daycare. Before your next house-hunt, make a list of your must-haves and add them to your search.
DON’T: Spend too much money. Companies offering housing stipends often have a cap. Additionally, some companies, like Medely, offer a flat amount and let you pocket the rest – meaning you earn more for your assignment if you keep rent low.. Finally, some housing options quickly become unaffordable if you’re staying for an 8+ week assignment. After your essential needs are met considerprioritizing affordability in your housing search.
DO: Use reputable travel nurse housing sites like one of these:
Travel Nurse Housing Sites
- Airbnb. Of course this vaction rental giant comes in first on our list. It’s safe, easy to use, and the housing offered through this site is always clean and cool. Airbnb is excellent for travel nurses due to its incredibly customizable search tab, where you can specify whether you want a host who speaks French, your rental to be on a farm, or if you absolutely need a hot tub. Protip: look for listings advertising a “super host”.
- Travel Nurse Housing. Straightforward, right? Think of this as Airbnb, but just for nurses. TNH allows you to specify a maximum budget and whether you need just a room or an entire unit to yourself. One thing to know, listings on TNH have a minimum stay period, usually between 30 and 90 days, so this might not be the best site to use for short term assignments.
- VRBO. This site offers short to long term housing for travel nurses and makes it easy to find with a streamlined website, secure payment options, and 24/7 customer support. Many of the listings on VRBO are pet-friendly, eliminating the need for a sitter while you’re on assignment!
- Transplant Housing. We love this company’s name – and we love their service! Similar to TNH, Transplant Housing helps nurses find rental properties near their next work assignment. What makes Transplant different is twofold. First, they also help travel nurses rent their own properties while on the road. Secondly, if you don’t see housing offered in a specific city or town, Transplant will reach out to prospective renters to try to fill that gap.
- Furnished Finder. This is another nurses-only housing site. Furnished Finder works to get nurses into fully-equipped rentals which are conveniently (and specifically!) located near hospitals and clinics across the country. They have over 30,000 listings in their network, meaning travel nurses who use them will be spoiled for choice!
Last Thoughts: Travel Nurse Housing Sites
Finding housing for your next travel assignment can be easy. Just use any of the above sites to search for your ideal spot. Then all that’s left is to look forward to comfort and contentment at the end of your next shift.