One of the hardest parts of our work as travelers is constant moving and finding good, safe housing. After three years of doing this in eight different cities, I’ve gotten a pretty good system down. And I’m here to share my process with you!
How to search for housing as a travel nurse:
Check the crime map.
When I get a job offer and accept the position, I immediately check the crime map for the area. Most of the time, I am moving to a place I have never been to or that I don’t know very well. My first priority is being in a safe area that is still in a good location to work. Personally, I like to live close to work because I like to sleep as long as I can before going in for a shift. By looking at the crime map, you can get a general idea of neighborhoods to avoid or to focus on.
What are your non-negotiables?
This is something to consider before going on to check housing sites. What are your non-negotiables? For me, they tend to be things like free parking on the premises, in-unit laundry, and a full-size fridge. Oh, and maximum budget, of course. There have been times when I’ve had to flex on these things (good luck finding an affordable place in NYC with in-unit laundry), and that’s ok. These are just the things to consider when you start your search.
Check out Furnished Finder.
Once I have a few areas scouted, I go to Furnished Finder – I know Gypsy Nurse is affiliated with Furnished Finder, but I am not. I just truly like the site and app. I’ve had really great experiences using FF, and I recommend it to all of my travel nurse friends. I’ve even recommended it to people renting their property for mid-term rentals. The big thing I like about it is there are no additional fees added like another app we all know and love.
Most times, the rent includes all of my utilities as well, so I don’t have to make separate payments. And I don’t have to sign up for new internet every three months that I move!
Try Facebook housing groups.
There have been times when the places listed on Furnished Finder are either out of my budget or just aren’t what I’m looking for. Sometimes, there aren’t a lot of options in that specific city. In those situations, I’ve gotten on Facebook – yeah, I know – and used travel nurse housing groups. In fact, Gypsy Nurse has one that I use! It may seem outdated, but there are a lot of great options there, and often, there will be comments from people who have stayed there before, letting you know if it was a good or bad experience.
Try other housing sites.
If both of those fail, I have used Air B’n’B before. Again, this is my last resort because of the added fees. Usually, I will book a one-month stay, get to know the landlord, and ask to pay them outside the app for the other 2-5 months that I might be there. This also allows me to decide if I want to stay in that area longer or not. There are pros and cons to this.
Look into agency-provided housing.
Another option that I don’t think is talked about very often, and one that I’ve never used is going through your agency. If all of this just seems like too much work and stress or is super overwhelming, most travel agencies have a housing department that can help you find a place to live. All 4 of the agencies I’ve worked with have offered this to me. I just personally prefer to use my own resources and save some (a lot) of my hard-earned money!
If you decide this is the route you want to go, you will not receive a housing stipend on your paycheck. It is one or the other. I promise you can find housing for way less than your stipend allows, so I would only recommend this route if it is truly something that causes you a lot of stress.
Always as for Facetime, Zoom, etc of the housing.
Another tip for the house hunting process: Always ask FaceTime, Zoom, etc., with the landlord so you can get an idea of who they are and see the place in real-time. As travelers, we can’t really pop over to view an apartment when we are 3000 miles away! They should accommodate that, and if they don’t, I would take that as a red flag. This also gives you a chance to see how the landlord is. We’ve all had crappy landlords, might as well try to eliminate that obstacle if you can!
Lastly, make sure that wherever you decide to live is a spot that you will enjoy on your days off!
We typically work 3-4 days a week, so what will you be doing with the other 3-4 days off?! Half the point of travel nursing (at least for me) is enjoying and exploring new places! Don’t forget to have fun, too! Happy housing hunting!
If you want to read more travel content, check out Sophie’s blog at thetravelingsopha.com.
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