It’s a challenge that all travel nurses face: housing. While Furnished Finder gives travelers more than 100,000 options for monthly furnished rentals across the country, how do you ensure that your rental experience is the best it can be? Well, let’s break it down into a few key tips.
Communication is key
This may seem obvious, but in too many cases, it isn’t. Communication is key to ensuring that your rental and your rental experience are exactly what you’re looking for. From the moment you send a housing request or when you send out a message or booking inquiry on Furnished Finder, take a few extra minutes to be detailed. Introduce yourself, explain exactly what you are looking for, how long you are looking to stay, any deal breakers or must-haves, as well as if you have any pets. A personal introduction and getting all of your needs clear from the beginning will go a long way in ensuring that property owners who reach out are already aware of your needs.
This also applies when you are at the property. Is it missing any furnishing that you need? Is something broken? Remember that a property owner can only fix or improve what they know about!
Avoid scams
There’s no worse rental experience than a scam. There are multiple ways to avoid being taken as a part of a scam, but some of the most impactful tips are to talk to a landlord on the phone or on facetime, always pay securely, and do a verification check. Talking on the phone will ensure that the relationship passes your “gut check” and that you have no uneasy feelings. Facetime to see the property (and if the property is occupied, at least the exterior of the property) will ensure that you are renting exactly what you think you are renting. Paying securely with a credit card will offer you protection in case of a dispute or other conflict. (This is one of the many reasons to avoid paying via Venmo or Zelle). Finally, make sure that the property belongs to the property owner by requesting a verification check on Furnished Finder.
Know the area
If you’re traveling to a new area, reach out to local Facebook groups or talk to new co-workers to discover the best and safest area of town to stay in. Even if it is a tad further from the hospital, keeping your safety as a top priority will be more than worth a slightly further commute. You can also do a Google street view and research crime rates in the area to help you get a feel for the area before you arrive.
Be honest with pet expectations and rules.
Pets! We love them, and they can help keep you company while on the road! Many property owners welcome Fido with open arms but have set in place different policies to protect everyone. Make sure that you ask about any regulations or policies and that you are comfortable with them before signing a lease.
Get everything in writing.
It may seem tedious, but when you’re talking lease terms, rules, and policies, get everything in writing as a part of your lease. What is your deposit? What is the rent? What happens if your contract gets canceled? What would cause a property owner to keep your deposit? How quickly will you get your deposit back? Make sure that you get all of these items and any other questions you may have put into writing!
At the end of the day, nothing ensures a great rental experience like trusting your gut. Be sure that you’re comfortable with where you are, and go have a great time exploring the new area!
Our job board is a great place to search for your next travel nurse assignment. We have you covered with our housing page if housing is an issue. You can search for what you are looking for.
