Medical Solutions provided this article.

Travel nursing offers an incredible opportunity to explore new places while advancing your career. However, one of the most significant aspects of travel nursing is securing housing that suits your needs and lifestyle. Finding the right home away from home can greatly impact your experience. Whether you’re new to travel nursing or a seasoned professional, understanding your housing options is essential. Here’s everything you need to know about travel nurse housing!

Understanding Your Housing Stipend

Most travel nursing contracts include a housing stipend—an allotment provided to cover the cost of accommodations. This tax-free stipend makes it an attractive option for many nurses looking for private travel nurse housing. The stipend amount varies depending on factors like the location of your assignment, the cost of living in the area, and the terms of your contract.

High-cost cities, such as San Francisco or New York, will typically offer larger stipends to help offset the expense of housing. However, the stipend might be lower if you’re in a more affordable area. Careful budgeting is key to ensuring your housing costs remain within your stipend, allowing you to pocket any remaining funds.

Company-Provided Housing vs. Finding Your Own

You have two main options: company-provided housing or finding your own accommodation.

1. Company-Provided Housing

Many travel nursing agencies, such as Medical Solutions, offer the option of securing private paid housing for travel nurses. This arrangement eliminates the hassle of searching for a place to live, as the agency handles the logistics. Company-provided housing is often fully furnished and conveniently located near your assignment.

However, this option usually means forfeiting your housing stipend, as the accommodation cost is deducted from it. While it’s a stress-free option, it might not provide the financial flexibility to find your own travel nurse housing.

2. Finding Your Own Housing

If you prefer more control over your living arrangements, you can opt to find your own housing. This allows you to customize your living situation based on your preferences—whether that’s a quiet suburban apartment, a shared rental with fellow travelers, or even a short-term Airbnb.

Finding your own housing can often save money, especially if you choose cost-effective options like extended-stay hotels or rental properties with long-term discounts. It also gives you the freedom to explore neighborhoods that match your lifestyle.

Tips for Securing Travel Nurse Housing

When it comes to how travel nurses find housing, it doesn’t have to be stressful. Here are some tips to help you along the way:

1. Start Your Search Early

As soon as you accept an assignment, begin your housing search. Popular cities or seasonal destinations have limited availability, so starting early gives you more options to choose from.

2. Leverage Travel Nurse Communities

Travel nurse forums, Facebook groups, and online communities can be invaluable resources for housing recommendations. Other travel nurses often share listings, advice, and reviews, making finding a trusted place to stay easier.

3. Utilize Housing Websites

Websites, like Furnished Finder, Airbnb, and VRBO, cater to short-term housing needs and are particularly popular among travel nurses. These platforms often feature furnished rentals and flexible lease terms to accommodate your assignment length.

4. Negotiate Lease Terms

When securing housing, don’t hesitate to negotiate lease terms. Many landlords are willing to adjust the duration of a lease or provide discounts for longer stays. Explain your situation as a travel nurse, and you might find more flexibility than expected.

5. Consider Proximity to Work

While affordability is important, consider how close the housing is to your assignment. A short commute can save you valuable time and money on transportation costs, enhancing your overall work-life balance.

Preparing for Your Stay

Once you’ve secured housing, there are a few additional steps to prepare for your stay:

Pack Smart: If your housing is furnished, check what’s included to avoid bringing unnecessary items.
Budget Wisely: Track all housing-related expenses, including utilities, parking, and renter’s insurance.
Research the Area: To make your transition smoother, familiarize yourself with the local amenities, including grocery stores, healthcare facilities, and recreational activities.

Making the Most of Your Housing Stipend

If you’re savvy about housing, your stipend can stretch further. For instance, some travel nurses choose to stay with friends or family in the area to save money. Others opt for RV living, which offers flexibility and eliminates the need to find new housing for each assignment.

The key is to weigh the costs and benefits of different housing options and choose the one that best suits your financial and personal needs.

Finding Your Next Place to Call Home

Securing travel nurse housing is vital to your overall experience, and having the right resources and support makes all the difference. At Medical Solutions, we’re dedicated to helping travel nurses thrive—offering exceptional assignments and expert guidance on housing and other essentials.

Whether you prefer company-provided housing or need advice on making the most of your stipend, we’re here to support your journey every step of the way. Let us help you focus on what matters most: providing outstanding patient care and enjoying the adventure of travel nursing.

Find Your Next Travel Nurse Assignment with Our Job Board!

Are you on the hunt for your next travel nurse gig? Look no further than our job board! Click here to explore all our current opportunities.

Discover the Perfect Housing for Your Next Assignment

Need somewhere to stay on your next travel nurse assignment? We’ve got you covered. Check out our housing page to find your ideal home away from home. Click here to start your search.

Travel nursing can open your world up to a variety of new experiences. But, if there’s one potential drawback, it’s that it can be quite lonely. You might have to leave your family and friends for weeks or months at a time, and missing that sense of community can be detrimental to your mental well-being.

One of the best ways to combat isolation, reduce housing costs, and foster a sense of community as a travel nurse is to consider co-housing.

It’s a unique way to share your living expenses while you’re away from home and find a built-in support network that can help you get through your travels and experiences.

So, whether you want to save money on your travel nursing assignments or you’re interested in fostering a sense of community with others sharing the experience, understanding the benefits of co-housing can help you determine if it’s the right move for you.

The Cost-Saving Benefits of Co-Housing for Travel Nurses

Depending on your assignments and how often you travel, it’s very possible to make a good living as a travel nurse, with some in the profession bringing in over $100,000 each year. However, if you’re a part-time travel nurse or you’re taking on smaller assignments, you might find yourself looking for ways to save money more often than not.

Co-housing provides multiple cost-saving benefits. Not only will you save on rent wherever you’re staying, but you’ll be able to share in utility costs with your roommates. When you pair that with different strategies to lower your utility costs, like adjusting your thermostat and unplugging devices that aren’t in use, you’ll quickly see how affordable your monthly bills can become.

If you get along with your roommates, you might also be able to cut down on food costs by having everyone chip in on groceries for the week and then enjoy meals together. Not only is it a great way to save money, but you’ll strengthen your bond with the people you live with and enjoy a more comfortable experience.

Finally, before you decide on a place to live for your next assignments, do your research. You can find plenty of fully furnished housing options for travel nurses, but booking fees can wreak havoc on your wallet! Make sure you work with trusted travel and housing websites and read the fine print before you agree to rent anything.

Building a Community

Again, loneliness can be a big problem for travel nurses. It’s become a sort of epidemic, in general, since the COVID-19 pandemic. But, travel nurses who have to spend weeks away from the people they love are even more susceptible. Unfortunately, isolation can create a variety of mental and physical health issues, including:

Depression
Heart disease
Stroke
Diabetes
Dementia
Earlier death

Creating a sense of community as a travel nurse is one of the best ways to fight back against loneliness.

Chances are you won’t get to know your roommates before you actually meet them unless you connect online prior to moving in. So, make sure you all know how to create a positive living environment from the start. Set ground rules, respect each other’s privacy, have a shared space within the home to get to know each other and hang out, and don’t be afraid to have multiple discussions about how you all want to handle finances. Getting those things out in the open will help you avoid problems later.

There are so many benefits to being a travel nurse, certainly not limited to the unique experiences you’ll have every day on assignment. If you’re worried about being lonely while you’re away or you’ve had problems with isolation in the past, co-housing isn’t just a great way to save money during your travels — it’s also a fantastic opportunity to build life-long connections and surround yourself with a community that understands you and your work.

We hope you found this article on co-housing for travel nurses helpful. Have you ever had a roommate while on assignment? Do you have tips to share? Comment them below.

Interested in a travel nursing job? Our job board is a great place to search for assignments, and if housing is an issue, our housing page can help. It’s time to make a difference!

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

START HERE

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

This article was provided by Jackson Nurse Professionals.

As you move from assignment to assignment, not having your things around you can increase occasional feelings of loneliness and even mental fatigue. Adding your own personalized touches to your temporary housing can make you feel more comfortable, and most importantly, at home.
Whether you’re in an Airbnb, renting a room, or renting an entire pad, these are quick, cheap, and easy ways to bring home to wherever you are.

Try removable wall decals!

When it comes to decorating your rental, the idea of doing an accent wall with removable wallpaper sounds great… until you realize how long it takes to do. Instead, use removable wall decals as a quick and easy fix so that you’re not surrounded by plain, gloomy, off-white walls. There are so many options out there now for sticky wall decals; you’re bound to find one that fits your personal style perfectly! Adding a fun accent wall is an excellent way to brighten up your space, add some color, and make it feel more like your space. Not only does it install and remove easily without damaging the walls or leaving them sticky, but you can also reuse the decals in your next rental. Carefully peel the decal from the top corner and pull downwards towards the floor to prevent stretching and misshaping. You can either keep the original paper backing or use wax paper to keep it fresh for your next home!

Add Light Acrylic Frames & a Wall Mosaic to your suitcase

Staying in a rental or an Airbnb, it’s not the best idea to cover the walls in thumbtack or nail holes from hanging up all your favorite photos. But that doesn’t mean you can’t bring your family photos with you! Utilizing light, portable, floating acrylic frames allows you to display as many photos as you want while not destroying the walls, weighing down your moving boxes, or needing to worry about breaking glass when it’s time to pack up. You can even purchase prints or print larger photos to split between multiple frames, making a creative and edgy large piece of art. Add more color or personal touches to the house using burlap, patterned cardstock, or Con-Tact paper as a background for a smaller photo! You can also use a portable wall mosaic, so you can display 50 photos without needing to put 50 holes in the wall. Keeping photos of your loved ones around will help you feel more relaxed and at home.

Invest in compression storage bags to bring blankets & pillows

We know that you need to pack lightly so you can easily pack up and move to your next assignment location. But, using a vacuum compression storage bag can allow you to bring some of your favorite home comfort items with you. You don’t’ even need a vacuum; many now come with a handheld vacuum sealing pump, perfect for travelers. Utilize these bags to bring your own decorative pillows or some throw blankets for your rental! These small touches will help your space feel more comfortable and homier during your short stay. You can also pack a duvet cover that can easily be slipped over a comforter to add a personal touch to your bedroom without having to sacrifice the space for a huge blanket in your suitcase.

Don’t just store your things, display them!

It’s the little details in your space that make it feel like a home! Utilize the space that you have to display some of your personal items rather than store them away. Command hooks are a cheap and easy way to hang necklaces and bracelets without destroying the walls. Get creative with your jewelry displays by using simple mesh bookends to easily organize your earrings and add some color and personal touches to the room! You can also use a modern but easy to breakdown and transport clothing rack to display some of your favorite clothing items while also freeing up space in the closet.

When you’re not at work or exploring your new city, these decorative touches will help you feel comfortable in your temporary home. Create your own sanctuary that feels like home to you, leaving you feeling refreshed and relaxed after a long day at work.

travel nurse housing advice

All You Need to Know About Travel Nurse Housing

Understanding Your Housing Stipend