Let’s be real for a second: Landing a travel therapy contract is a rush. You’ve got the job, the location looks amazing, and the pay package is sweet. But then, the panic sets in.
Where am I going to sleep?
Finding housing is consistently rated as the most stressful part of the travel lifestyle. You’re trying to find a furnished, safe, affordable place for a weird amount of time (13 weeks? Maybe longer?), often in a city you’ve never visited.
But here is the good news: Mastering the housing game is the #1 way to maximize your take-home pay.
Whether you are a PT, OT, or SLP, this guide breaks down everything you need to know to find the perfect spot, avoid scams, and keep more of that tax-free stipend in your pocket.
1. The Money Talk: Stipends vs. Company Housing
Before you open a single browser tab, you have a choice to make.
Option A: Taking the Stipend (The “Cash” Route) Most experienced travelers choose this. Your agency gives you a tax-free housing stipend as part of your weekly pay.
- The Win: If your stipend is $4,000/month and you find an apartment for $1,500/month, you keep the $2,500 difference. This is how travelers pay off student loans so fast.
- The Rule: To legally accept this tax-free money, you must be duplicating expenses. That means you are paying fair market rent/mortgage at your permanent “tax home” while paying for housing at your contract location. (No, paying your parents $50 cash a month doesn’t count. You need a paper trail!).
Option B: Agency-Provided Housing This is where your recruiter finds the apartment, signs the lease, and pays the rent.
- The Reality: While this option exists, fewer and fewer agencies are offering it because it’s expensive and logistically heavy for them.
- The Advice: Honestly? It is almost always more profitable for you to take the tax-free money and find your own spot. Finding housing is actually much easier than the internet makes it sound! You can simply use the Nomadicare Housing Search to filter for furnished rentals, browse options, and find the perfect home for your contract without the stress.
2. Where to Look: The “Big Three” Platforms
If you’re taking the stipend, here is where you should be hunting.
Furnished Finder (The Gold Standard) This site was built specifically for us.
- Why it works: Landlords here get it. They know what a “travel contract” is, they expect 3-month stays, and places come fully furnished.
- Pro Tip: It’s not an “instant book” site. Treat it like a lead generator. You have to message landlords or submit a “Housing Request” and wait for them to bite.
Airbnb & VRBO (The “Hack” Method) Don’t just book a 3-month stay at the nightly rate; you will go broke paying tourist prices and service fees.
- The Strategy: Find a place you love. Select dates for just one month to verify availability. Then, hit “Contact Host” (don’t book yet!).
- What to say: “Hi! I’m a travel physical therapist coming to work at [Local Clinic] for 13 weeks. I love your place. Since I’m a quiet professional looking for a longer stay, would you be open to a monthly discount?”
- Many hosts prefer a stable 3-month tenant over the headache of daily turnover.
Facebook Groups Search for “Travel Nursing Housing [City Name]” or “Travel Healthcare Housing.”
- The Gem: You can often find other travelers looking for roommates. Splitting rent = keeping way more of your stipend.
- The Warning: This is the Wild West. Scams are rampant here (more on that below).
3. Therapist Specifics: You Aren’t a Nurse
Most housing advice assumes you are a nurse working at the big downtown hospital. As a therapist, your reality is different.
- Map Your Clinic, Not the City: If you are working in a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF), Home Health, or a School System, you might be in the suburbs or a rural outskirts area.
- The Commute Strategy: Don’t pay premium “downtown” prices if your clinic is 30 minutes away in a quiet suburb. You can often find safer, cheaper housing near your facility.
- The RV & Van Life Route: Therapists are statistically more likely to choose #VanLife than nurses. If you have an RV, you still get the full housing stipend (as long as you duplicate expenses!). Just make sure to use apps like AllStays to find parks that accept your rig’s age.
4. The Lease: Protecting Yourself
The scariest phrase in travel therapy is “Low Census.” Contracts can get cancelled. If you signed a strict 3-month lease and lose your job on week 2, you could be in financial trouble.
How to protect yourself:
- The Month-to-Month Lease: This is the Holy Grail. If you get cancelled, you just finish out the month and leave.
- The “Travel Clause”: If a landlord insists on a 3-month lease, ask for this specific clause in the contract: “Tenant has the right to terminate this lease with 30 days’ notice (or 14 days) if their employment contract is cancelled by the facility.” (Legitimate landlords on Furnished Finder are usually fine with this).
5. Don’t Get Scammed: The Vetting Toolkit
Scammers love travelers because they know we are looking for housing from states away and can’t visit in person. Here is your safety checklist:
- The Video Tour is Non-Negotiable: If they say they can’t FaceTime you for a tour because “they are out of town” or “the current tenant is sleeping,” walk away. A real landlord will happily hop on a video call, open the fridge, and show you the street view.
- Reverse Image Search: Take the listing photos and drop them into Google Images. If that same living room shows up on a real estate listing in London when you’re looking in Texas, it’s a scam.
- Verify Ownership: You can look up property records on the county auditor’s website (it’s public info!) to make sure the person messaging you actually owns the house.
- Use 3rd Party Checks: Never Venmo a stranger $50 for a “background check.” Use trusted services like KeyCheck or SmartMove.
6. The “Pet Resume” (Yes, really)
Traveling with a dog or cat makes housing 10x harder. A “No Pets” policy often just means “I don’t want a destructive puppy.”
Change their mind with a Pet Resume: Create a simple PDF with:
- A cute photo of your pet.
- Proof of vaccinations and flea prevention.
- The Kicker: References from past landlords stating your pet was quiet and non-destructive.
Sending this upfront shows you are a responsible professional, not just a random tourist with a dog.
Final Thoughts
Finding housing takes work, but it’s also one of the best parts of travel therapy. You get to “try on” living in a new neighborhood, a new city, or even a new type of home (hello, beach bungalow!) every 13 weeks.
Next Step: Once you have your housing secured, make sure you understand exactly how your stipend works come tax season.
