Finding Housing

[basdf]

Hey everyone,

I am going to be new to travel nursing. I wanted to find my own place to stay and am interested in renting a room from someone's house. I've looked on Craigslist and found a few that look good to me. Has anyone else done this? I wanted to know what types of questions you ask and how you might know if the situation will be viable without having been there beforehand to see the place and meet the landlord. Any input will be much appreciated!

[NedRN]

I've done this a number of times, but never without looking and meeting first. I'm not sure you would want to share a place with someone willing to do it without meeting you.

It is best to line up several places to look at before arriving and hope that one of them is suitable. I'd also recommend that you post a housing wanted ad on Craigslist. Mention you are a nurse traveler and you will find places that are never advertised, including some places you don't have to share that are competitive in price.

[quiltynurse56, LPN, LVN]

I am not a travel nurse, but when I travel for pleasure, I search HomeAway. Many have longterm rates too.

[NedRN]

I am not a travel nurse, but when I travel for pleasure, I search HomeAway. Many have longterm rates too.

I've never heard of HomeAway before. Sounds similar to VRBO. For anyone interested in a number of other ways to find housing, including third party medical housing providers that many agencies now use, there is a good list here.

[Trjl]

Please be very careful of Craigslist. It can be legit, but I would never rent or send money to anyone from Craigslist without seeing the place first, to make sure there is a place to rent.

I have use Airbnb, homeaway, rent(insert city you want).com (that worked for me in 2 different cities) and I am currently in a rental that I got from contacting a vacation rental realtor in the area.

Finding housing in a new town can be time consuming. What works in one city, may not work in another. There are apartments that can rent for 3 months at a time, but the prices will always go up from what you may be seeing on line. (Prices usually quote a yearly lease monthly prices). And if you want furnished rental, the price is even higher. You should list things that are important to you, and what you can live without. Do you want furnished? Cable/internet in with the price, or separate? What utilities are in with the price? Is there a W&D, if not, how close is there one? Pet friendly? Etc...

I know travelers who go as cheaply as possible, and live in very questionable places, to save money. While i do not live in luxury, I will pay a few extra dollars for something a little nicer. Currently it is off season where I am, so I got a deal on a vacation rental with a fantastic view of the Pacific. It is really like being on vacation every day. Had I gone for cheap, I may have no view living next to a supermarket.

You may also check with your company. They may have another traveler in the city you will be working in that is looking for a roommate. Some people on Airbnb are looking to rent rooms only. I have done that on an emergency basis when I was running out of time and needed a place to stay now. While I did get lucky and they were very nice people, just remember, you are living in someone else's house under their rules. Could be a great situation, or a nightmare. Whether you find a place for just yourself or with a roommate, just do your homework and check all reviews you can find. Best of luck to you. I have been lucky that I have liked all the places I have lived (even if the job-not so much). And I should add, with my monthly expenses, I still have enough money to put in savings, so my few extra dollars on a nice rental, have certainly not been blowing my budget.