How to Find Housing on a Travel Nursing Assignment

Start Your Search Early

The most important advice any experienced travel nurse will give you: start looking for housing the moment you accept your assignment — not when you get your start date confirmation. Quality furnished rentals in hospital-heavy markets go fast, and waiting until the last minute leaves you scrambling with limited options.

Ideally, you want to have your housing confirmed at least 2–3 weeks before your start date. Give yourself enough time to ask questions, do a video walkthrough, and review any lease documents carefully.

Agency Housing vs. Finding Your Own

Most travel nursing agencies offer two options: they can arrange housing for you, or they can give you a housing stipend to find your own. Understanding the tradeoffs is critical.

Agency-Arranged Housing

Your agency handles the search and books the housing for you. This is convenient but often comes with tradeoffs — the property may not be close to your hospital, the quality can vary widely, and you have little control over where you end up. The agency also keeps the difference if the housing costs less than the allocated amount.

Taking the Housing Stipend

You receive a monthly housing stipend (typically $1,500–$3,000 depending on location) and find your own housing. If you find something for less than the stipend, you keep the difference — tax-free. This approach gives you more control and can be financially advantageous, but requires more effort upfront.

Most experienced travel nurses prefer to take the stipend and find their own housing. The financial upside is significant, and you get to choose exactly where you live.

Where to Search for Housing

Here are the best places to find furnished mid-term rentals for travel nurses:

Purpose-Built Platforms

• RealCo (realco.io) — built specifically for travel nurses, with verified hosts, hospital proximity search, and 1–3 month stays
• Furnished Finder — large inventory of mid-term furnished rentals
• Travel Nurse Housing — nurse-specific listings

General Platforms

• Airbnb — search for monthly stays (use the monthly filter). More expensive but widely available
• Facebook Groups — search "travel nurse housing [city]". Has good options but less verification and more risk
• Craigslist — use with extreme caution. Never send money without seeing the property

Nurse Communities

• Travel Nurse Network (Facebook group with 150k+ members)
• Travel Nurses Across America (Facebook group)
• Ask fellow nurses at your assigned hospital — they often know of good housing options nearby

What to Look For in a Listing

When reviewing listings, prioritize these factors:

• Distance to your hospital — aim for under 15 minutes. Use Google Maps to verify, not just the listing claim
• Price vs. your stipend — ideally at or below your monthly stipend
• Utilities included — all-inclusive pricing makes budgeting predictable
• In-unit laundry — a must for most nurses
• Parking — included and accessible
• Wi-Fi speed — ask specifically about upload and download speeds
• Verification badges — on RealCo, look for ID Verified and Property Verified hosts
• Reviews — read them carefully. Look for mentions of maintenance responsiveness, accuracy of listing, and safety

Red Flags to Watch For

Unfortunately, housing scams targeting travel nurses exist. Here are the warning signs:

• Prices that seem too good to be true — they usually are
• Landlord who can't do a video walkthrough — always request one before committing
• Requests for wire transfer, Zelle, or cash payment — use secure payment methods only
• No lease or informal agreement — always get everything in writing
• Pressure to decide quickly — legitimate landlords understand you need time to review
• Photos that look professional but listing details don't match — reverse image search suspicious photos
• No verifiable contact information — look up the landlord's name online
• Landlord claims to be overseas and can't show the property in person — classic scam setup

Before You Sign Anything

Do all of these before committing to any rental:

1. Request a video walkthrough — see every room, the parking, the building entrance, and the neighborhood street view
2. Google the address — check Google Street View and look at the neighborhood
3. Verify the landlord's identity — search their name online, check LinkedIn, look for reviews on other platforms
4. Read the lease carefully — pay attention to early termination clauses (important if your assignment gets cancelled or extended)
5. Understand what's included — utilities, Wi-Fi, parking, laundry. Get it in writing
6. Ask about the check-in process — how do you get keys? Is there a smart lock?
7. Ask about maintenance — who do you contact if something breaks? How quickly do they respond?

The Assignment Extension Problem

Travel nursing assignments often get extended at the last minute. Before signing a lease, ask specifically about extension options. Can you extend month-to-month if your assignment extends? What is the notice period required? What happens if you need to leave early because your assignment is cancelled?

Look for landlords who are familiar with travel nursing and understand that assignment dates can change. Flexibility on the landlord's part is worth paying a small premium for.

Moving In — What to Check Immediately

On your first day, document everything:

• Take photos of every room, including any existing damage
• Test all appliances (stove, microwave, washer, dryer)
• Test the Wi-Fi speed (speedtest.net)
• Check all locks and make sure you have working keys or codes
• Locate the circuit breaker and water shutoff
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
• Email or text your landlord any issues you find on day one

This protects you when you move out and ensures you won't be charged for pre-existing damage.