Renting your property to travel nurses and traveling professionals

Who your renters are

Inquiries come from travel nurses, allied health techs, therapists, locum tenens providers, residents and medical students. Most arrive with a signed contract, a start date and a hospital address. Many get a housing stipend from their agency, and that stipend sets their budget.

Contract lengths and your calendar

• Most travel nurse contracts run 13 weeks. Extensions, often for another 13 weeks, are common but not guaranteed.
• Crisis contracts can be four to eight weeks, and medical student rotations are often four weeks.
• Residents usually want 12 months starting in late June.
• Start dates move. Credentialing or a change at the hospital can push a start back a week or more, and contracts are sometimes cancelled.

On Med Pro Housing you set the dates the home is available and a minimum stay, 30 nights by default. Write your extension and early-termination terms into the lease so neither of you is guessing in week ten.

What travel nurses look for

• Location. A short drive to the hospital at 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Renters search within 5 to 50 miles of a hospital and see your home on a map beside it.
• Sleep. Many work 12-hour nights. Blackout curtains, a quiet bedroom and a good mattress matter more than decor.
• Parking. A reserved or off-street spot they can get to easily after a late shift.
• All-in rent. Utilities and reliable Wi-Fi included, so there are no accounts to open for three months.
• Laundry in the unit or the building. Scrubs get washed after every shift.
• Pets. Some travelers bring a dog or cat. If you allow pets, say so; renters can filter for it.
• Flexibility of a few days on the start date.

Furnishing checklist

• Bed with a good mattress, mattress protector, two sets of sheets, pillows and blankets
• Blackout curtains or shades in the bedroom
• Towels, hangers and a hair dryer
• Kitchen basics: pots, pans, knives, dishes, a coffee maker and a microwave
• A couch, and a table or desk with a chair
• Washer and dryer, or easy access to one
• Vacuum, cleaning supplies and trash pickup instructions
• Working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit
• Keyless entry or a lockbox for arrivals after a late shift or a long drive

Pricing with stipends in mind

Many agencies base housing stipends on the GSA lodging rate for the area, which varies by location and, in some markets, by month. GSA rates are per night, so multiply by about 30 for a monthly figure; the stipend calculator uses current GSA lodging rates. Travelers keep what they don't spend on housing, so a furnished home priced under the local rate, utilities included, fits inside more of their price filters.

How listing works and what it costs

• A yearly plan: $199 a year for up to 5 live listings, or $399 a year for up to 20. Billed through Stripe. Renters pay nothing.
• Optional boosts put a listing at the top of search results, from $9 for a week, paid once.
• Listings may go through an admin review before they go live.
• You set availability dates and a minimum stay.
• Refer another host and you get a referral credit on your account.
• Location metadata is stripped from your photos, and renters don't get your exact street address until you arrange it with them.

Med Pro Housing doesn't process rent or deposits; you collect those directly under your own lease. Messages that ask a renter to pay by wire, gift card or crypto get a scam warning, so use a payment method that leaves a record. Renters can verify their professional license, which adds a badge to their inquiries.

Local rules, taxes and fair housing

Before you list, check the rental rules where the property is. Cities, counties and states treat stays differently by length, and the cutoffs vary, so find out whether a 30-night or longer stay needs a permit or registration, and whether occupancy or lodging taxes apply. Check your HOA rules, mortgage terms and insurance too, since a standard homeowner's policy may not cover a rental. Follow fair housing law in your listing and in how you choose renters; see our fair housing page.

When you're ready, see pricing and create a listing. Questions about listing can go to our team.