How to Easily Find Travel Nurse Housing in Arizona

Typical of many states, travel nurses earn more weekly than the staff nurses in Arizona. Travel nurses in Flagstaff and Phoenix make approximately $2500 per week, and travel nurses in Mesa make about $3000 per week! That makes a travel nurse’s annual salary about $145,000 versus a staff nurse’s $85,000 annual salary. This significant difference in annual salary can make travel nursing a lucrative option if it works for your lifestyle!  

Choosing between a housing stipend or finding housing yourself can significantly affect your take-home income. Be sure to do your research to find the best Arizona travel nurse housing option for you and your budget.  

So you have decided you want to try a travel contract in Arizona and have found the hospital or city that is the best fit for you. Now you just have to find a place to call home while you are there! Depending on your budget, amenities, and location, several travel nurse housing types in Arizona are available.  

1. Extended Stay Hotel

Staying at an extended-stay hotel is ideal for the travel nurse who is traveling alone and only requires a little space. Additionally, this option comes fully furnished and includes housekeeping and linen services. Depending on the hotel you are staying in, you may also have the option of in-house laundry services, gym facilities, and restaurants! Consider the need for a room with a kitchenette if you want a refrigerator and microwave to make some meals in your room or heat your leftover takeout.  

2. Room Rental

Renting a room in someone’s home is another ideal option for a travel nurse traveling alone. These rental options can come furnished or not, and you would typically have access to the common areas in the home, like the kitchen and living space. Additionally, you may also have access to in-home laundry rooms. This is an excellent travel nurse housing option in Arizona if you do not need much space and do not mind having a roommate.  

3. Apartment or Condo Rental

If you are looking for your own space or will be sharing your space with another travel nurse, renting an apartment or condo is a great travel nurse housing option in Arizona. Depending on your location, your apartment may have several amenities like in-unit laundry, on-site fitness centers, on-site aquatic centers, and covered parking. This may be a more costly option, especially if you lease short-term.  

4. House Rental  

Renting a house during your travel nursing contract is an excellent option for traveling families. A house rental gives you your own space and possibly some yard space. Additionally, your home rental may come with parking or even a garage. It is essential to consider the travel nurse house's location to your work and if you will be responsible for caring for the grounds while renting.  

After you decide what amenities are non-negotiable for you and what kind of space you need, you must create a travel nurse housing budget for your contract time in Arizona. You should also consider if you will get renter’s insurance or how much transportation will cost you during your time in the state.  

Now is also the time to decide if you will use the housing options provided by your travel agency or choose a housing stipend. If you aren’t sure which would be your best option, here is a little breakdown of the pros and cons.  

If you choose agency-placed housing, your travel nursing agency will provide you with accommodation. This option is more affordable because agencies tend to have long-term leases and move traveling nurses in and out for their contract terms. This option only gives you a little time to move in and out, but if your contract is cut short, you likely will not have the high cost of breaking a lease. Additionally, with your company holding the lease, you will likely not have to pay significant upfront costs to move in and start up utilities.  

If you choose stipend pay for your travel nurse housing in Arizona, you will be responsible for finding, booking, and financing your housing on your own. This is an excellent option if you have a specific place you want to live or live with a travel nurse using agency housing. You also have control of your move-in and move-out time. The drawback is that short-term housing can be expensive, and if your contract ends early, you will be responsible for all costs related to moving out early. You do have the option to live in housing that is less than your housing stipend and pocket the remainder tax-free as long as you have a tax home. Otherwise, it will be taxed as income.  

The cost of travel nurse housing in Arizona can vary depending on your location and the size of your rental. Studio rentals range from $500 to $1000 per month, one-bedroom rentals range from $600 to $1000 per month, and two or more bedroom rentals will cost between $750-$2000 per month.  

Looking for an affordable short-term rental can be challenging. There are often extra charges or fees when renting for less than a year. However, due to the high rate of winter travel to Arizona, you may be able to find more affordable short-term housing depending on the time of the year of your travel nurse contract. Other factors that affect your ability to find affordable travel nurse housing in Arizona include:  

• What city do you plan to live in? Areas like Scottsdale and Sedona are often more expensive than other areas in Arizona.
• The length of your contract
• The time of year you are traveling
• Which accommodations and amenities that you choose for your rental
• The size of your rental  
• Available discounts
• Which housing service you will use

After you have signed your contract for your travel nursing job in Arizona, the search is on to find your new temporary home! To make the process less overwhelming, create a want and a need list that includes type, location, budget, accommodations, and amenities. This step is unnecessary if you choose agency-placed housing. Working with Advantis Medical can streamline your housing process and take one more thing off your to-do list before your contract start date. If you want to find your housing independently, here is where you can look:  

1. Airbnb

Searching Airbnb is only for vacation rentals, right? Wrong! This site has a specific tab to search for extended stays that are a month or longer. When searching Airbnb, you can search for the type of rental you want, how many bedrooms you need, and what amenities you desire. These types of rentals offer additional luxuries that you will not experience elsewhere.  

2. Apartments.com

When you search apartments.com, you can search your specific travel nurse housing neighborhood in Arizona, type of rental, length of rental, and listed amenities. This is an excellent tool for those looking for apartments, condos, townhomes, or houses to rent. Additionally, if you have specific must-haves on your list, apartments.com can help weed out options that do not meet your needs.  

3. Travelnursehousing.com

Suppose you are new to looking for your own travel nurse housing. You can use travelnursehousing.com as your guide streamlines the process. The site is specifically designed for travel nurses, locum tenens, and other travel healthcare workers. You can search for a room, apartment, and home rentals for typical contract times. Additionally, several travel nurse agencies utilize this search tool as well. Another perk of using this site is that you are connected directly with the property owner and are not charged any booking fees for your rental! Perfect for any travel nurse looking for housing in Arizona.

4. Zillow  

Zillow is another excellent tool for finding your new temporary home. You can outline the specific area you are searching for and filter by all of your non-negotiable amenities and price point. Zillow is often seen as a tool for homebuyers, but it can also be helpful for those looking for rental properties.

Now that you cannot wait to hike the Camelbak Mountains and tour the red rocks of Sedona, sign up on the AdvantisConnect  job portal to see what exciting opportunities await you in Arizona. Whether you are an indoor person or an outdoor person, there is so much to explore year-round in Arizona. Let Advantis Medical guide you on your next travel nursing adventure!

Browse exclusive travel job openings from the #1 rated travel nurse agency. You can choose to work with one of our dedicated Pro Recruiters and receive top-notch, white-glove service, or express your interest in specific jobs directly on our individual job pages.  Start your next adventure today by searching for travel nurse jobs in Arizona.

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