All About Furnished Finder
Furnished Finder is a short-term housing website created for travelling professionals. It is completely free to use and has provided housing for over 100,000 travel nurses.
What is Furnished Finder?
Furnished finder has a variety of listings including rental units from private landlords, hotels or property management companies listing housing. It is easy to search on their map and use their filters to find exactly what you are looking for. I travel with my husband and two cats and have had no difficulty finding a private, one bedroom, pet-friendly property. You can add listings to your favourites and save your searches as you browse through.
Once you have narrowed down your search, you can send a booking request or message the property owner. I usually message the owners of all the properties I am interested in, as you may not hear back from everyone.
Connecting with the Landlord
After connecting with the landlord, you can request a virtual tour or ask to see the property in person. I always ask the landlord for a phone or Zoom interview. This allows you to ask questions and familiarize yourself with the rental property.
You should ask the following questions:
- Is the property available for the time I need?
- Is it possible to extend my rental period?
- What deposits are required of me?
Usually, landlords will hold back part of your deposit for cleaning after you move out, so ensure you know all the details. - Are utilities included? Or any additional monthly expenses required of me?
- What furnishings are included, i.e. pots/pans, vacuum etc.
- Are you able to provide a virtual tour or additional photos?
How to secure housing through a private landlord:
- Complete background check that usually costs about $30.
- Complete an application with basic information, landlord references and usually paystubs or a credit report.
- Pay any deposits and set up rent payments.
- Purchase rental insurance
- Sign the contract provided by the landlord and schedule a day to collect the keys.
Each landlord will have a different process and expectations for securing their property. You should expect to always complete some form of background check or provide proof of income.
KeyCheck
Landlords like to use KeyCheck to collect rent and complete background checks. KeyCheck is an affiliated service that works with Furnished Finder. They also provide rental insurance for your lease through a company called Assurant.
My previous landlord requested transfers through Zelle as KeyCheck has extra transaction fees. You can work with your landlord to find which payment method will work for both of you.
Property Management Companies and Hotels
Some of the listings on Furnished Finder are hotels or corporations listing their properties. The posting description will contain links to contact and apply.
I contacted a property management company for my previous assignment. This company owned multiple buildings in Baltimore. This company had a variety of listings available through their portal which were not on furnished finder. I was able to secure housing in a historic part of Baltimore for a great price through this property manager. Should you choose to use a property management company, do your research to ensure they are a legitimate company.
Conclusion
Finding housing for your assignment can be a stressful process. I love that Furnished Finder makes connecting with landlords easy and stress free. I have had nothing but positive experiences with furnished finder.
Furnished Finder is a reliable option to secure accommodations for travel nursing assignments and is an excellent resource to explore for your next contract!
Ready to Get Started?
If you are considering making the great leap into Travel Nursing in the US, The Guide to Becoming a Travel Nurse provides insight and answers many questions. We will be updating this guide frequently with new information and links often. The information we provide is purely from our personal experiences and what we have learnt along the way.
You can also reach out to us in the contact section by sending us an email or leave a comment below with any questions about the process. We are happy to help you get started!
My name is Marta, I’m a pediatric emergency room nurse from Toronto travelling in the US. I have taken assignments most recently in Boston and Denver. I travel with my husband who is a travel points enthusiast and manages to find amazing deals using points to fulfill all of our travel bucket-list goals. Join us on our next adventure after 13 weeks!