How to Find the Best Travel Nurse Housing in Oklahoma

Travel nursing is a very lucrative move for your nursing career if you want to travel to a new place and work in a new hospital system. Your income depends on your contract location, but according to Indeed, on average a travel nurse in Oklahoma earns $2,046 weekly or $111,850 annually. In comparison, their staff nurse counterparts earn approximately $1,611 weekly and $88,062 annually. The cities with the highest rates are Oklahoma City, Tahlequah, and Enid. If switching it up and working in Oklahoma sounds enticing, dust off that resume!

Once you have found a contract that works for you, you must move on to the next important step, finding travel nurse housing in Oklahoma! Create a monthly budget and a list of must-have amenities, and start hunting! If you feel overwhelmed by looking for housing in a new place, reach out to your Advantis Medical recruiter through AdvantisConnect, who will set you up with travel nurse housing.  

1. Extended-Stay Hotels

Renting a room in an extended-stay hotel can have its ups and downs. Extended-stay hotels are perfect for solo travel nurses that don’t need too much space. You will also have access to the hotel's on-site amenities like housekeeping, laundry, gyms, aquatic centers, and restaurants. These amenities are great, but you likely will not have access to a kitchen area, so if you are interested in cooking your own meals, this is not the Oklahoma travel nurse housing for you unless you are very creative with a microwave, coffee maker, and mini fridge.

2. Room Rentals

Renting a room in someone’s home or apartment is also an excellent option for lone travelers. This is a good option if you don’t mind living with someone you just met! This gives you access to common areas like kitchens and living spaces without being solely responsible for the rental. Additionally, you will have access to the amenities of the complex or neighborhood.

3. Apartment or Condo Rentals

For nurses traveling together or a solo nurse that prefers their own space, renting your own apartment or condo is an ideal option for you. In most cases, you will have more rentals to pick from if you choose your own apartment or condo. Additionally, you can select which amenities you want in your living space. Apartments and condos do have a wide range of pricing and a wide range of additional fees. Make sure to include all of these fees in your Oklahoma travel nurse housing budget!  

4. House or Townhouse Rentals

Renting a travel nurse house or townhouse in Oklahoma is ideal for families or groups of traveling nurses. Finding short-term rentals for houses can be challenging. Consider sub-letting to avoid paying significant fees for short-term rentals for houses and townhouses. Often these rentals have limited amenities but typically will have on-site laundry and parking! You should discuss with the landlord what you would be responsible for as a tenant, like lawn care or repair costs. Not all travel nurse home rentals in Oklahoma have contracts like apartment complexes and can leave grey areas in the expectations and costs.  

Oklahoma has one of the most affordable travel nurse housing rental markets. The average rent for a studio apartment is $609 monthly. Are you looking for more space? A one-bedroom apartment will cost around $613 per month. If you are traveling with other travel nurses or a family and need more space, rentals with two or more bedrooms will cost between $797-$1,071 monthly. These monthly costs will not include utilities. Most rental search sites give you a rough estimate of average monthly utilities.  

If you search for a fully furnished property, this will change your monthly rental fee. The increased cost may be intimidating, but you will not have to move or buy furniture for your rental space, which would also be costly.  Additionally, if you rent in larger cities, expect to pay more and have additional parking fees or public transportation costs.  

Finding affordable short-term rentals will take some time and effort on your part. Some rental companies charge double or even triple for short-term contracts or month-to-month rent. Additionally, several other factors affect your monthly rental costs.  

• Amenities
• Location
• Duration of contract
• Season of contract
• Available rent discounts

Searching for short-term rentals can be overwhelming at times. You are picking your life up, moving to a new location for several months, and starting a new job! Talk about a lot all at once. It is important to remember that you have two options when looking for housing in Oklahoma during your travel assignment: agency-provided and stipends. You can take a housing stipend and find accommodations independently or work with your recruiter and live in agency-placed housing.

Working with your travel nurse agency’s internal housing department is beneficial if you use agency-placed housing. Agency-placed housing is optimal for new travel nurses or travel nurses unfamiliar with their new city. The travel nurse agency often has a long-term rental agreement with a company and rotates travel nurses every few months based on their contract duration. You will save money on upfront costs as you aren’t responsible for paying a deposit. If your contract unexpectedly ends early, you won’t have to worry about the fees for breaking your lease early. If you like to have time before and after your contract to explore your city or state, you may not have that option with agency-placed housing as they often have another traveler lined up to move in right after you move out.  

If you are looking for more freedom with your Oklahoma travel nurse housing options and moving dates, choosing the housing stipend is the option for you. You will be given a set amount to spend on housing, and if you come in under budget, you can keep the extra and will only be taxed on it if you do not have a tax home. Choosing the housing stipend does leave you responsible for any additional costs, like the first month’s deposit and other rental fees. You will also be responsible for costs if you break your lease early. This option is ideal for nurses familiar with the area, nurses traveling together, or nurses living in campers or RVs while on assignment.    

Here are a few commonly used websites to find travel nurse housing.

1. Airbnb  

Using Airbnb as your Oklahoma travel nurse housing search can be expensive if you search for rentals with vacation rates, but Airbnb has a page for long-term rentals. This search tool will provide you with available houses and apartments at a cheaper rate than you would find searching for an Airbnb vacation rental. Not all listings on Airbnb are available for long-term rental, but you will still be able to find some interesting and fun rentals if that is what you are looking for!

2. Apartments.com  

Using apartments.com will give you over 11,000 rental options in Oklahoma, so you should have no problem finding a rental to meet your needs. Your search can be done by city and move-in day. Your rental listings include reviews, floorplans, monthly rent, amenities, additional fees, and neighborhood information! Additionally, apartments.com has more than just apartments; you will also find condos and houses for rent in your search area.  

3. Homestay.com  

If you are looking to rent a room in a home or apartment, homestay.com will help you. Each listing describes the house and who you will be staying with. Some require minimum and maximum stays. You can read reviews from previous renters to ensure the travel nurse housing in Oklahoma will be a good fit for you.  

4. Travelnursehousing.com  

Using travelnursehousing.com to search for your rental not only gives you the ability to communicate directly with the property owners, but you are also able to search for extended-stay hotels, rooms, and whole units all in one place! This is ideal if you are still determining what type of rental you would like or want a rental in a specific area, regardless of the type. The rental properties and owners are verified and screened for the safety of the travel nurses. This is a valuable search tool if you are new to finding your own rentals or want to see all the options in one place.

Explore the dynamic field of Med/Surg nursing with Advantis Medical in Tulsa, OK. Our Med/Surg Travel Nurse position offers an enriching 8-week night shift assignment with a competitive weekly pay of $2,175. Tulsa, known for its vibrant culture and diverse attractions, provides an ideal setting for professional growth and personal enjoyment. Embrace this opportunity to advance your career in a leading medical center while experiencing the unique lifestyle of one of Oklahoma's most exciting cities.

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 Oklahoma.