Housing for nurses on travel contracts and short-term moves

Different contracts, different housing needs

• Travel nurses. Most contracts run 13 weeks, and extensions (often another 13 weeks) are common but not guaranteed. You want a place that rents month to month or for a fixed term that matches the contract, with a host who will talk about an extension. The guide to housing for a 13-week contract walks through the timing.
• Per diem nurses. If you regularly pick up shifts at a hospital far from home, a monthly rental nearby can cost less than hotel nights. Add up what you spend on hotels in a month and compare.
• Crisis and strike nurses. These jobs can start within days. Strike assignments are often short, and many agencies book hotels for them. If you're paid a stipend instead, filter by your move-in date and look for hosts whose availability starts now.
• Nurses relocating for a permanent job. A furnished monthly rental gives you time to learn the area before you sign a 12-month lease. Ask whether the host will go month to month after the first term.

Furnished apartments near your hospital

Search any US city, or choose your hospital from the 5,384 in CMS data and set a radius from 5 to 50 miles. The map shows listings with nearby hospitals marked, so you can judge the drive before you message anyone. Filter by move-in date, price, bedrooms, pets, furnished and property type. If a whole apartment is more space than you need, filter for studios and guest suites.

Save the homes you like, and save a search to get an email when a new listing matches. That's useful in a tight market, or when your contract is signed but your start date is still a few weeks out.

Questions to ask a host before you sign

1. Is the rent all-in, or are utilities, Wi-Fi and parking extra?
2. Can I move in a few days early or late if my start date changes?
3. What happens if my contract is cancelled, or extended?
4. If I work nights, how dark is the bedroom and how loud is the street during the day?
5. Where do I park, and is the path from the car well lit after a late shift?
6. What's the deposit, how do I pay it, and when does it come back?

Hosts list their availability dates and minimum stay (30 nights by default), so filter by your move-in date first and you'll only see homes that can work.

Keep your rent under the stipend

If you take your agency's housing stipend instead of agency housing, whatever you don't spend on rent is yours, and whatever you spend over it comes out of your pay. Many agencies base the stipend on the GSA lodging rate for the area, which differs by county and, in some places, by month. The stipend calculator uses current GSA lodging rates so you can set a realistic price filter, and the housing stipend guide explains the tax home rules behind it.

Privacy and safety

Hosts never see your email address, and you don't see a home's exact street address until you and the host arrange it. Messages that ask for a wire transfer, gift cards, crypto or similar payment get a scam warning, and you can report or block a host. Med Pro Housing doesn't take rent or deposits, so any payment goes straight to the host; get the lease in writing before you pay. If you verify your nursing license, hosts see a verified badge on your inquiries.

Start from your hospital's name on the search page, or browse travel nurse housing by state.