Should I Accept Company-Provided Housing or Should I Find my Own?

As with most things, there are pros and cons with both. If you select the company-provided housing, you have the advantage of not having to do anything. Your travel nurse company will do all the work for you, including arranging for furniture delivery and getting the utilities set up in advance. They even pay the rent directly. All you have to do is show up and unpack! Most company-provided housing consists of a one or two-bedroom condo or apartment in a housing community that’s within an easy commute of your workplace.

On the other hand, if you want more control over where you live and you don’t mind making the effort to find your own place, you can go ahead and look for something that’s ideally suited to what you want. Or, if you have friends or family that live in the area and they have the extra room, you can stay with them and still get the housing subsidy.

Also, in most cities, you will find people who want to rent out their homes. They often see traveling nurses as professionals and would rather rent to them than perhaps the general population.

If you go to http://www.travelnursingcentral.com/housing_ads.php, you will find several houses listed throughout the United States. These people are looking specifically to rent their houses to travelers.

The travel company can tell you how much they are willing to pay in a housing allowance. You can then see if you can stay within that budget and find housing that suits your needs. The disadvantage of finding your own housing is that you may have to deal with a landlord. The choice is yours, though, and you are free to do whatever you think is best for your situation.