You’re finally placed with the locum tenens assignment of your dreams in your favorite city. But after a long day with patients, you face a grueling commute to a shoebox apartment with paper-thin walls, noisy neighbors, and a microwave as your only means of cooking. Take-out it is –– again.
Can you think of a faster way to ruin a good assignment?
We sure can’t.
To feel safe and comfortable in your new home while on assignment is the bare minimum, loving your new digs just as much as the new gig is the goal.
Whether your agency makes your locum tenens housing arrangements or you’re doing it on your own, follow these recommendations to ensure the accommodations don’t turn your next dream assignment into a nightmare.
Table of Contents
- Who Makes Housing Arrangements for Locum Tenens?
- Typical Housing Options for Locum Tenens
- Common Locum Tenens Housing Questions
- 3 Recommendations To Keep in Mind if Your Agency Is Making Housing Arrangements
- 3 Recommendations To Keep in Mind if You Are Making Housing Arrangements on Your Own
- Your Housing Arrangements Are Completely Covered With Trusted Locum Staffing’s Concierge Service
Who Makes Housing Arrangements for Locum Tenens?
Making locum tenens housing arrangements can often be arduous and complicated. It can quickly become stressful hashing out the copious details including:
- Location
- Commute
- Deposits
- Furnishings
- Utilities; and
- Rental contracts
Many locum tenens agencies offer accommodation services to shoulder that burden, while others allow you to secure your housing and offer a stipend or reimbursement for the cost of reasonable accommodations.
Each agency will have its approach and policies, so be sure to research and check with your staffing agency to learn more about their housing arrangement rules.
At Trusted Locum Staffing, we offer comprehensive support to ensure your success and satisfaction. Amongst our many benefits, our white-glove concierge care handles all your housing and travel arrangements so you can focus on the work that matters most –– providing exceptional patient care. Get started today with Trusted Locum Staffing.
Typical Housing Options for Locum Tenens
On a locum tenens assignment, you may be offered various types of housing.
Most of the locum tenens housing options will depend on the type and length of the contract including:
- Standard hotel rooms with one bedroom and bathroom for assignments one week or less.
- Suites or larger hotel rooms with a kitchenette for assignments one week to 30 days.
- Leased apartments with at least one bedroom and bathroom, furnished with one TV and bedroom set for assignments over 30 days long.
- Vacation rentals are used for assignments longer than 30 days or short assignments when traditional options are unavailable.
- Facility-owned housing for locum tenens providers that are available for various assignment lengths.
Common Locum Tenens Housing Questions
Will Locum Tenens Housing Accommodate Families?
It’s not uncommon to bring your significant other or family on assignment with you. You may even bring your family along for an assignment as a working vacation or extend your stay after the assignment has finished.
Either way, just let your agency know your plans to bring your family so suitable housing can be arranged.
However, bear in mind if the cost of larger accommodations exceeds the housing budget for your assignment, you may be responsible for the difference.
Will Locum Tenens Housing Accommodate Pets?
Pets are just as important as family. As a pet parent, you will usually have a few furry-friendly housing options.
Most agencies can help find locum tenens housing to accommodate your pet, however some may have restrictions depending on the type of animal or breed. It may take more time to find accommodations that accept certain pets, so be upfront with your agency about your travel companion early on.
Remember to include pet expenses in your budget as it’s likely that you will need to cover any additional pet-related costs.
Can I Request To Arrange My Housing Instead of Using My Agency’s Services?
A locum tenens assignment means leaving the comforts of your home, one that you likely grew to love.
Most agencies aim to find safe, comfortable, and conveniently located housing for locum tenens. Yet you may still feel more confident arranging your housing. If you’d prefer to make your arrangements, simply ask your agency.
The common goal is ultimately that you feel happy about where you will stay.
Is the Cost of My Housing Covered by the Locum Tenens Agency?
Aside from higher salary earnings, another benefit of locum tenens contracts is that accommodation costs are either paid for directly by the agency or you receive a housing stipend.
If you’re staying in a hotel for shorter contracts, you will be responsible for the cost of incidentals not included in the room rate like:
- Room service
- Movie rentals
- Items in the mini-refrigerator, or
- Massage or spa services
3 Recommendations To Keep in Mind if Your Agency Is Making Housing Arrangements
#1: Be Up Front About Your Preferences
Finding the right accommodations is key, especially if you plan to be on an assignment longer than a week or two. A great locum tenens staffing agency will work to find you housing beyond safe and comfortable, but one that you feel happy to call home.
To help communicate what’s most important to your agency, organize your preferences in a list of needs and wants.
If you’re tall, do you need a king-sized bed so your feet don’t hang off the end? Do you need to be close to the elevator? Or maybe you just don’t want to spend your day off at the laundromat, so you need a washer and dryer on site. Put these on your list of requirements. Don’t leave anything out that could make or break your time there.
Next, think about any amenities you’d prefer to have. Would a pool or on-site gym be useful? Do you enjoy an evening soak in a bathtub? Or perhaps you like to start your morning off with a cup of coffee on a balcony or terrace?
Even minor details are important. Your agency may be unable to accommodate everything, but the more they know, the happier you’ll be with the results.
#2: Request Accommodations Close To Your Facility
Are you an obstetrician gynecologist or other specialist?
Requesting accommodations close to your facility might be a good idea to allow you to respond quickly to calls.
Even if you’re not a specialist, consider finding lodging closer to your healthcare facility. Not only will you save time on your commute, but you will save on gas and mileage.
Most importantly, minimizing your transit means you’ll spend less time traveling when you need to get your rest.
#3: Try To Remain Flexible
Separating your preferences into needs and wants can help you remain flexible and stay focused on what matters most.
You don’t need to compromise on your absolute must-haves, but being flexible will help your agency find the most available options.
You may even choose something that otherwise might not have come up in the search.
The Trusted Locum Staffing team works diligently to make sure you are happy with your locum tenens housing arrangements, with every placement, every time. Our streamlined services make it simple and worry-free. Contact us today to get started.
3 Recommendations To Keep in Mind if You Are Making Housing Arrangements on Your Own
#1: Look at Online Housing Search Engines
If the idea of finding your own locum tenens housing arrangements excites you, the best place to start is with online housing search engines.
You may have already thought of the general short-term sublet search engines like Airbnb that provide furnished, short-term rentals. But first, you may want to check online housing search engines that specialize in short-term rentals for travel nurses and locum tenens.
One of the most popular search engines, Furnished Finder, has a large database of short-term rentals for traveling medical professionals across the country. You can also try other websites like Travel Nurse Housing and Shorttermhousing.com.
Finding options with these locum tenens physician housing search engines is just as easy since you can search for rentals by location, amenities, and price range.
Bonus tip: Start your search at least three months in advance of your shift dates as great rentals with good cost-to-quality ratios often go fast.
#2: Consider Extended-Stay Hotels
If you prefer the predictability and amenities of a hotel, consider extended-stay hotels.
There are plenty to choose from and many familiar hotel chains also offer extended stay accommodations, including Residence Inn by Marriott, Homewood Suites by Hilton, and Extended Stay America.
Another perk extended stay hotels offer besides the amenities, is the hotel rewards program. Collect points with every large hotel chain on each visit and you could quickly earn enough to use for a room upgrade on your personal travel expenses.
Extended-stay hotels might not offer as much space as a full home or condo rental, but the benefits may be enough to consider.
#3: Review Cancellation Policies Carefully
Whether you are booking a hotel, corporate housing, or a general short-term sublet, it’s important to review the cancellation policy very carefully.
Keep in mind that cancellation policies, especially for sublet rentals, are often less flexible than hotels.
If your shifts get canceled with more than 30 days’ notice, some sublet hosts will only reimburse 50% of your stay, even when canceled months in advance.
When reviewing cancellation policies, look for a rental with “moderate” to “flexible” cancellation options that let you cancel from five days up to 24 hours in advance, respectively.
Your Housing Arrangements Are Completely Covered With Trusted Locum Staffing’s Concierge Service
With so many locum tenens staffing agencies to choose from, personalized placement matching is just the beginning of the services you should require.
The dedicated experts at Trusted Locum Staffing offer tailored high-touch support to ensure every detail of your assignment is managed with the utmost care, including your housing and travel arrangements.
Trusted Locum Staffing combines the expertise of a large agency with the meticulous management of a boutique firm to advocate for you every step of the way.
Contact us and we’ll help get you hired.