If you travel with your children or a significant other, sometimes you want to have a bigger place to live while on assignment. The standard housing provided by your agency is a hotel or a 1 bedroom apartment. You have the option to get a 2 bedroom apartment but the agency will have you pay the cost difference between the 1 and 2 bedroom apartment from your paycheck.
However, when I was in San Diego, I was able to secure a two bedroom apartment without incurring any extra costs. How did I do this?
I asked the agency what the housing budget was per month (including rent, furniture, utilities etc.). Then I proceeded to look up housing options on Airbnb. I wanted a 2 bedroom place because I expected to have plenty of visitors during my assignment there.
I found a 2 bedroom apartment on Airbnb that was a bit above the monthly budget. I messaged the owner and asked if she could give me a discount since I would be renting from her for 3 months. Fortunately, she honored my request and provided the apartment for under budget.
I then forwarded the information to my housing representative from the agency. She went ahead and booked the apartment, no questions asked.
Had I found a short-term lease apartment that needed to be furnished etc., it would have been a completely different story. This is because a cheap 1 bedroom apartment would have been selected by the agency over the 2 bedroom apartment.
Thus, finding a 2 bedroom apartment on Airbnb or furnishedfinder.com that is within budget will allow you to have the extra space as a traveling nurse practitioner, without having to pay extra.
