So, you’ve landed a job and you start in a week. Now – where will you live?
There are two ways to find travel nurse housing. The easiest way to find a place to live as a travel nurse is through your healthcare agency. Agencies typically have contracts with large rental companies in cities where they’re placing nurses. Typically, they can give you a housing assignment that will last your entire contract, is furnished, and is close to the hospital in which you’ll be working. It’s highly recommended to take assigned housing on your first gig. However, more seasoned travel nurses venture out to find their own housing. In this situation, the agency gives them a stipend, or a housing budget, to work with. They then are responsible for finding their own place to live and paying for it with the money allocated to them. Some travel nurses have unique situations, such as those with pets or those who want to bring their families along. No matter your situation, finding housing can be challenging, so here are five tips for finding your own housing as a travel nurse!
Five Tips for Finding Your Own Travel Nurse Housing
- Use online resources
There are plenty of resources online for finding travel nurse housing. There are traditional rental property resources you can use, such as Airbnb.com. There are also online forums specifically for travel nurses, such as Gypsy Soul Travel Nurse Housing Options, where people post housing opportunities. You can also use other sites like Craigslist if you are brave enough.
- Do your research
When looking for housing in a new city, do your research. Make sure you know the going rate of housing in a particular area, so you can easily identify a scam. Also, look into the different neighborhoods and crime ratings so that you don’t end up in the wrong part of town.
- Know your budget
It’s important to know your budget or how much of a stipend for housing you will be receiving. You don’t want to get stuck with expensive housing that your stipend doesn’t cover, because then the rest of your rent will be coming out of your salary. Travel nursing jobs are lucrative, but it’s important to pay attention to your spending so that you can make the money stretch even further.
- Follow your instincts
When you’re looking for temporary housing, scams are inevitable. If you see something that is super cheap or seems too good to be true, it probably is. Follow your instincts during your housing search and don’t rush into something that doesn’t feel right.
- Don’t wait until the last minute
As you probably gathered by reading tips one through four, finding housing on your own can be really challenging. There are lots of layers to finding the right housing for your travel assignment, so don’t wait until the last minute to start your search. As soon as you think you know where you’re going next, start researching neighborhoods, and figure out where you’ll be searching specifically. This will make the process a lot easier, than trying to force pieces to fit in a hurry.
Checklist for Travel Nursing Assignment Arrival
Once you arrive at your assignment, there are a few things you want to check out right away to make sure your housing is in order.
- Evaluate your housing assignment
Make sure that everything in your housing assignment is in good condition. Make note of any damages, so you don’t get accused of it later. Also, make sure all of the appliances work and that the home is in acceptable condition.
- Familiarize yourself with the area
Find out where the mailbox is, where to take out your trash, and how to contact maintenance should you have any issues. Also find out where your bank, pharmacy and grocery store are located.
- Practice driving to your new work location
Practice driving to your new work location so you’re positive you know how to get there on the first day. This is also helpful because you can scope out what the traffic is like. There’s nothing worse than getting lost, stuck in unexpected heavy traffic, and/or being late for work on the first day.