Congratulations, you’ve scored your next travel nurse assignment! But before you start planning all the great restaurants, hikes, events, and sporting events you’ll attend, you’ll want to make sure you know where you’re staying. That way you’ll have somewhere to rest up after all your fun.
Finding the right temporary home can be challenging, but not impossible. So to help you in this house-hunting journey we’ve compiled a few housing sites and tips and tricks for travel nurses.
Travel Nurse Housing Tips
- Ask the hospital staff or your recruiter if they have any suggestions on housing options in the area.
- Research the areas of the city before you move. A Pro tip is to “walk” the roads using Google Maps Street View. This will give you an idea of what’s near your potential rental and its overall vibe.
- Opt for furnished homes or apartments so you don’t have to buy new furniture every couple of months and or travel with it.
Avoid These Mistakes and Rental Scammers
Before we start house hunting, it’s important to be aware of warning signs of scams so you can keep your money and yourself safe.
- Never wire anyone money.
- If you are signing a lease, make sure it’s short-term. Unless you plan to be in an area for over a year.
- If a rental’s pictures look too good for the price, it likely is. If you can, always ask to see the property before signing or paying a deposit. Many times, travel nurses will be out of state so try asking the property if they’ll provide a virtual tour.
- If you are pressured to lease/sign right away you should be suspicious. Agents can be pushy but if you haven’t even seen the property and it’s your first time speaking with them and they’re already trying to get you to sign this is a red flag and it could be that the property isn’t even theirs to be signing off.
For more scam signs and tips on how to avoid them, click the button below.
MedX Team Members Get Discounts on Hotels
A quick note before we dive in, if you’re interested in hotel options, Mader MedX team asks you to reference your employee guide or ask your recruiter about our corporate hotel rates.
Best Sites for Travel Nurse Housing
Finally, let’s dive into a few of the options for your house-hunting adventure!
Vacation Rental Websites For Travel Nurse Housing
Vacation rentals can be a viable option for short-term housing and living. They’re usually furnished, have short-term contracts, and can be in unique areas of your new city.
- Airbnb: a vacation property rental company that offers short and long-term homestays and experiences.
- VRBO: an online marketplace for vacation rentals.
Rental Property Sites For Travel Nurses Housing
- Furnished Finder: a website for travel nurses & other traveling professionals to find apartments, homes, rooms, condos, and more.
- Hello Landing: Instantly book verified furnished apartments.
- Sonder: a short-term rental company.
- Rentler: an online tool that helps you find houses & apartments for rent.
- Apartments.com: a website with thousands of rentals available to browse.
- Zillow Rentals: a website that helps you find your perfect rental space by curating your feed to your interests/needs.
Other “Out Of The Box” Housing Options For Travel Nurses
If you’re not in love with moving from unit to unit and want something a little more permanent, there are options for you!
RV Or Camper Living
If every time you get done camping, you wish you could stay there forever, RV/camper living can be a great option. You’ll get access to that campfire smells you love and the convenience of when it’s time to leave, you just drive away.
When you choose to live in an RV or camper, you can rent a lot on someone’s property or, more commonly, rent out a spot in a campsite with a water and electric hookup.
Tiny Homes
If you’re unfamiliar with this term, a tiny house is a living space that’s typically between 100-400 square feet. Many individuals who travel with a tiny home have it on wheels and follow similar living situations as a camper or RV.
Still, looking for more of an intro to tiny houses? You’re in luck because there is a plethora of TV shows featuring people “going tiny” and their struggles/wins with it.
Check out these tiny house shows:
Van Life
Finally, the most trendy option as of late, is van life. This popular phenomenon is the act of converting a van or large vehicle into your living quarters. Typically vans are equipped with everything a camper has but in much closer quarters.
Many individuals who live out of their vans also park in campsites, dispersed camping areas, and or rented land space. Van life is by far the most mobile option, as you’ll be able to get your home in places a camper or tiny home may not be able to get.
Travel Nurse Van Life Pro Tip
Like any adventure, do your research beforehand. Social media can make van life and alternative living sound glorious but there’s always a harsh reality that some people may not talk about. If you don’t know anyone who’s tried it, find YouTubers and TikTokers who share their journey – the good and the bad.