You've signed your travel contract, packed your bags, now what? Look for housing!
My rule of thumb is: stay in a hotel for 1-2 weeks, inspect the area, ask what the average commute is, go see the properties you're interested in, and only after you've done all theses things, you book housing!
NEVER NEVER NEVER pay for all of your housing at once. Ask any travel nurse and they'll tell you this, accompanied by their own horror story about a landlord who scammed them.
Below I've included a list of companies where I search for housing. This is not an exhaustive list, but a list of reliable sources.
- Zeus Corporate Housing - what I'm currently using in San Francisco. These come fully furnished, including a washer and dryer AND a tv. I love love LOVE Zeus. It's my home away from home. I quite literally only had to bring myself - dishes, hangers, toiletries, vacuum, you name it were all provided. The longer you stay, the cheaper your monthly rent is. Communication with Zeus is quick and you can reach them after hours. Any work orders I placed were resolved within 24-48 hours.
- Airbnb - I'm sure everyone has stayed in an Airbnb at some point, it's tried and true. This is a good way to find a room for rent, an in-law suite, or a whole home for rent. These units may come fully furnished or empty. I prefer to pack light...without furniture. Furnished rentals are typically going to be more expensive.
- Blueground - Another corporate housing website. I've never used them but I have browsed their website. They have beautiful properties.
- Sonder - The most beautiful properties to sublease! Also the most expensive! I'd consider staying in one of these for my first 1-2 weeks instead of staying in a hotel.
- Furnished Finder - I believe furnished finder has the widest reach. The aforementioned sites only service major cities, however, Furnished Finder has listings in cities no matter the size. Furnished Finder is more targeted towards travel nurses. The downside: many of the landlords want you to rent for 3 months minimum. In the world of travel nursing, contract lengths vary. I prefer 8-week contracts. Most contracts right now are 13 weeks. If you sign a 4-week extension you're in limbo. If you spend the first 1-2 weeks in a hotel this means you'll be paying for 1-2 weeks where you're not living in the property. Many things to consider but most travel nurses I've met like Furnished Finder.
Hopefully, you found this helpful! That's all I've got for you today. Let me know if there's any topic you want me to cover in an upcoming blog post!
Until Next Time,
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