The Ultimate Guide to Healthcare Travel Housing

We Do Healthcare Travel Housing Differently.

Take the Per Diem. Leave the Roadblocks to Us.

Some veteran travelers will tell you to take the per diem and find your housing on your own. By finding a housing option that is cheaper than the per diem amount, you pocket the most money.

So, do you find your own housing or let your agency do it? The answer seems obvious, but at TNAA, we do things differently because we believe our travelers deserve more.

This guide covers a lot of information. Use these links to find what you’re looking for faster.

• Meet TNAA’s Housing Department: Learn about our healthcare traveler housing resources and the benefits of having our specialists help you through the process.
• Temporary Hotel Stays: Housing plans changed? See how we can arrange a short-term hotel stay for you.
• Financial Assistance: See how we can help with move-in costs even if you live the RV life.
• Hello Landing Partnership: Hello Landing is a full-service housing option with locations in more than 375+ cities!
• Travelers Haven Partnership: This partnership offers a solution for pesky credit checks. Plus, it offers utilities and rent all in one payment.
• Apartment Leads Service: Made for those who still want to do it themselves, just with a list of TNAA-approved properties.
• Can I Get a Furnished Apartment?: Will “furnished” mean the “whole nine yards”?
• Can I Bring Family Members?: Certainly! Be sure to notify your agency upfront.
• Can I Bring My Pet?: That depends on the pet. Most dogs and cats are okay!
• TNAA Housing Reviews: Hear from veteran travel nurses who have used our housing options.

Meet TNAA’s Housing Department

TNAA’s housing specialists are here to help solve your allied and travel nurse housing problems: cost issues, credit issues, and time constraints. If you want to find housing on your own to make the most of your tax-free per diem, you can—and we’ll still help you. If you choose not to have our specialist assist in finding your housing, you still have access to programs designed to:

• Simplify the process
• Protect your financial health
• Prioritize your safety

Travel Nurse Housing Tip 1: Have a Backup Plan

You’ve probably heard it a million times, but it’s especially true in the ever-changing healthcare travel industry: expect the unexpected. The very nature of your job requires you to analyze and react. When it comes to where you’re going to live, it’s crucial to have backup plans to your backup plans. Think about these scenarios:

• Change in Housing: Picture yourself driving to your new assignment when you receive a message that the apartment you secured is no longer available. What do you do?
• Unplanned Financial Need: We’ve all experienced a moment when your budget doesn’t quite pan out. Maybe you suddenly find yourself paying for tires you didn’t think you would need to purchase this month, or a dental emergency arises. Either way, when unexpected financial needs arise, money gets tight. Do you dip into your savings or put it on a credit card?
• Call Your Housing Specialist: When any issues in housing arise, we are here for you. If at any point you find you have lost your housing or something unexpected happened – whether you’re headed to your assignment or already there, your housing specialist is a helping hand.

Temporary Hotel Stays

Whether your housing changed last minute or you want to investigate your housing options before committing, we can assist you with a short-term hotel stay. Our partnerships with various hotel-booking platforms allow us to arrange a hotel stay for you for up to two weeks, with a payroll deduction option should you qualify. See details on payment assistance below or check with your recruiter.

Financial Assistance

Moving expenses are no joke. Think about all the costs associated with moving into your new digs: security deposits, cleaning fees, utility connection fees, first month’s rent, and more. Even if you’re living the full-time RV life, you may still need to put down one to three months’ rent upfront. Maybe you don’t have the cash readily available or will be living on a very tight budget once you pay those costs.

We can help you. Financial assistance is available for qualified travelers. If you are eligible, a check will be sent directly to your landlord and then payroll deducted from your first four paychecks.  

Want to know if you qualify? Email or text your recruiter. Copy and paste the text below:

I’m interested in utilizing Financial Assistance for housing for my upcoming assignment. Can you put me in touch with my housing specialist?

Travel Nurse Housing Tip 2: Avoid Housing Stressors

There are multiple services offering housing options that keep you under your per diem. Services like VRBO, Airbnb, or Furnished Finders all provide excellent housing options. We even use them for our personal travels!

However, just because you opted to “take the per diem” doesn’t mean you’re on your own. We created an innovative partnership that alleviates these housing stressors:

• Working With the Landlord: While most property owners are accommodating to travel nurses, dealing with the details, from utilities to rent, can be a stressor. Prepping for an assignment is almost a full-time job (physicals, drug testing, licensing, etc). Working with the landlord is just one more thing to add on!
• Searching & Verifying: From browsing maps to reading reviews, apartment searching takes a lot of time. Then there’s verifying the accuracy of the information. While most short-term housing services have verification processes, other options like Craigslist or Facebook are significantly less regulated. Do you take the risk?

Sure, you can do it all on your own, but do you really want to? Maybe you’ve been locating and securing housing on your own for all your assignments—but just know that there are options to make the process simple, convenient, and safe.

Hello Landing Partnership

With a presence in over 375 cities, Hello Landing provides comprehensive housing solutions that include setting up utilities and WiFi for a seamless transition to your new place. Hello Landing takes care of the nitty-gritty details, making your move hassle-free.

Travelers Haven Partnership

Through an innovative partnership, we offer apartments, privately-owned properties, and hotels in the most convenient way. With the guidance of your housing specialist (yes, you have one with TNAA!), Travelers Haven will locate and secure an apartment, rent, furniture, and set up utilities—rolling all these costs into one affordable payment. Plus, it gets even better. Your deposit is guaranteed, and most of the time, there is no credit check required.

Apartment Leads Service

Maybe all these options sound great, but you still want to do it yourself. We get it—and we have a perk just for you do-it-yourselfers. Tell your recruiter or housing specialist you’d like a list of fully vetted properties. Our specialists can recommend properties and vendors TNAA has used in the area where you’ll be traveling. All the arrangements will be up to you, but we steer you toward traveler-friendly options.

Can I Get a Furnished Apartment?

Will “furnished” mean the “whole nine yards” or a couple of milk crates and an oscillating fan? By most standards, you should expect the following:

• Living Room: Sofa, Chair/Loveseat, Cocktail Table, End Table, Lamp, TV Stand
• Dining Room: Dining Table, 4 Dining Chairs
• Bedroom: Queen Bed Complete, Dresser with Mirror, Nightstand, Lamp
• Appliances: Microwave, Stove, Refrigerator, Washer, Dryer

Can I Bring Family Members?

Certainly! Most agencies support a traveler’s desire to have their family with them. Remember that there might be additional costs if you need a larger apartment and additional furniture. Your agency can look into other options for you and provide you with approximate costs to upgrade your apartment.

Can I Bring My Pet?

That depends on the pet. Most dogs and cats are okay—but your pet llama may not be so easy to accommodate. Most travel nurse agencies welcome pets with a few standard restrictions. Among the most common that are not considered “travel-friendly” pets are Pit Bulls, Rottweilers (or any mixes of these breeds), and reptiles.

Finding accommodations for larger pets can be difficult in some areas. Inquire with your agency to see if your pet will be a good fit for the areas you are considering. The rule of thumb is: If your pet weighs more than 40 lbs. or you travel with two or more pets, your agency may have to do additional scouting to find a suitable location.

In many cases, additional costs, such as pet deposits and pet rent, are the responsibility of the traveler. Be sure to ask.

TNAA Housing Reviews

“If I have a problem with housing, I know that they will look out for us. They’ve fielded property owners from us. They’ve dealt with landlords over our dog. On one assignment, the apartment we lived in started a construction project. And we worked nights. TNAA housing got us into a hotel immediately. Simply put, they take care of us.” —Ally 

“We have used both the leads program as well as Travelers Haven. Travelers Haven is nice because everything is taken care of, and you don’t have to worry about paying rent because it’s payroll deducted. With the leads program, TNAA Housing will help you to find places, but you are the one setting it all up. They can even help out with the down payments initially and take it out of your check once you start work.” —Zane

Helpful Tax Links

Need a Breakdown on how “Tax-Free Money for Travel Nurses” works? 

Taxes are inherently complicated, and it’s always best to seek tax advice from certified tax professionals. However, we’ve compiled some basics you and your tax accountant should know for you to be eligible for non-taxed reimbursements (aka the tax-free money and/or the per diem).

• Start Here: Common Travel Tax FAQs
• Our CFO on Tax Compliance: How Staying in One Place Can Make Reimbursements (aka your stipend) Taxable

Travel With TNAA

No matter where your next travel assignment takes you, TNAA’s Housing Department can help you find the right housing solution for your unique travel needs. Plus, when you travel with TNAA, you’re with a travel nurse agency that has your back every step of the way. Housing, credentialing, benefits, sick leave – we’ve got you covered. All you need to do is pack your bags and decide where you’re going.

Ready to start planning your winter travel nurse assignment? Check out our available jobs and apply today!