How does the traveling nurses process work in Sacramento, California? What website do I research? What are the fees? What is the time frame to start? What time of the year is the best time to post for a tenant?
I think furnishedfinder.com should be your website for all of this research. You won't get all the answers, but At least you will see wha other people are doing there. You can list your unit there as well for a cost of $199 (verify). In generals hospitals hire throughout the year. I am assuming your property is closer to one of the hospitals, if not, it could be harder. Another easy way is to simply try to look for job openings in the hospital near your property. That should give you interesting info as well.
I think furnishedfinder.com should be your website for all of this research. You won't get all the answers, but At least you will see wha other people are doing there. You can list your unit there as well for a cost of $199 (verify). In generals hospitals hire throughout the year. I am assuming your property is closer to one of the hospitals, if not, it could be harder. Another easy way is to simply try to look for job openings in the hospital near your property. That should give you interesting info as well.
There isn't really a "program" you enroll in — it's a market, and once you see how the money flows it gets simpler. Travel nurses work 13-week contracts through staffing agencies, and their pay package includes a housing stipend. Your job is to be the furnished home they spend it on.
Practically: the main marketplace is Furnished Finder — that's where most travelers search, and landlords pay a flat annual listing fee rather than a per-booking commission, which is why most nurse landlords start there. Beyond that, list on Airbnb and Vrbo with a 30-night minimum so you catch travelers who start their search there, and it's worth introducing yourself to the housing departments at the bigger staffing agencies, because recruiters keep lists of reliable landlords near their hospitals.
On research: Furnished Finder publishes demand data by city, and your real comp set is other furnished homes within a short drive of the hospitals taking travelers — proximity to the hospital matters more than almost anything else in your listing. On timing: contracts run year-round, but new starts cluster after the holidays, in spring, and again in late summer, and travelers usually book 4–8 weeks before a start date. So the honest answer on "best time to post" is now — a live listing with good photos beats a perfectly timed one that isn't up yet. Build in a real lease and a damage plan even at 30+ days; a stipend tenant is still a tenant.
I run furnished midterm rentals for traveling professionals in Florida, and nurse housing is the backbone of it — happy to compare notes as you get set up.
Mario, the reply above covers the marketplace side well, so I'll add the two things I'd want sorted before buying or converting anything. I work in mortgage lending and own short and long-term rentals myself.
First, financing. If you're buying a place specifically to rent furnished to nurses, most lenders won't count projected mid-term rent the way you'd hope. Conventional underwriting usually goes off long-term market rent from the appraiser's rent schedule, or wants to see the income on your tax returns. DSCR lenders vary a lot: some will use 12 months of documented furnished income, some haircut it, and some only accept the long-term number. Ask exactly how they calculate rent before you assume a deal qualifies. If you're house hacking (a room or ADU in the home you live in), owner-occupied financing is far cheaper, but check that your HOA allows 30-day-plus room rentals.
Second, insurance. A standard homeowners policy may not cover furnished rentals to unrelated occupants. Get a landlord or rental policy quote early, because it moves the numbers.
On timing, contracts run about 13 weeks and start year-round, though winter tends to be strongest as hospitals staff up for flu season. List 4 to 6 weeks before you want someone in, since nurses usually lock housing right after signing a contract. And keep stays at 30 nights or more, which generally keeps you clear of short-term rental rules, but confirm with your city or county.
Hey, I'm a broker here in Sac and manage 100+ STR/MTR properties. There's no unified program, but FurnishedFinder, Airbnb, and VRBO see a lot of midterm activity. We also supplement those channels with direct booking. It really depends on your property type and location - many professions require regular travel, not only medical.