I recently had a reader reach out to me, asking if I could look at her listing that she made for a travel nurse housing unit she was trying to rent out. She was looking for travel nurse housing design tips and had found my blog.

Honestly, I couldn’t have been more thrilled to help her out.

It also made me realize that I have something valuable to offer — an experienced travel nurse’s opinion and critiques on the curb appeal of your short-term housing listing.

I have stayed in so many short-term furnished houses that Airbnb decor ideas have become my jam.

It is also no secret that renting to travel nurses can provide some excellent extra income with how much you can make renting to them.

So, if you are a property owner trying to rent on Furnished Finder or are wondering how to decorate an Airbnb and are having a hard time finding tenants, then keep reading for a travel nurse’s expert opinion. 

Here is how to make your travel nurse housing feel like home.

What Are My Travel Nurse Housing Design Tips

To see my travel nurse housing “set-up” essentials, check out my Amazon storefront to find everything all in one place.

The Basics

First, and most importantly, the property must be fully furnished. 

I’m talking turn-key, move-in ready. 

There’s excellent wi-fi, and all of the utilities are functioning and included in the rent.

Travel nurses pay good money to be able to live in these furnished, short-term rentals, so I suggest you go all in.

Your tenant shouldn’t have to buy anything as far as house-wares go — everything from pots and pans to a can opener to extra linens and towels and cleaning supplies should all come fully stocked. 

Travel nurses move every 3-4 months — we don’t have room to carry those kinds of things with us.

Second, even if it’s a studio apartment, there should be some sort of kitchen. 

We aren’t staying here for a vacation or just a weekend — we are going to be living here full-time.

The minimum should include a sink, refrigerator, cupboards or storage, and a stove. If you don’t have an oven, then provide an air fryer. 

I suggest you pretend you are living in your unit and I want you to pay attention to anything you might be missing. 

Cook a meal, take a shower, do some cleaning — find what’s missing. 

I also suggest you make the place feel like home and be cozy. Have blankets and plants, and some art. 

No one likes living in a bare minimum, sterile environment.

Ask yourself, “Would I live here?”.

If the question is no, then figure out why and fix it.

The Living Room

Your goal should be to decorate using a mid-century modern theme while keeping things simple and classic.

The living room should include the following (along with my favorite items):

• A Comfortable Couch — I see SO many ads with those shitty, hard, two-person sofas and it’s an immediate pass for me. I like to sit and watch TV on my off days — there’s no way I’m not spending hours sitting on that thing.
• A Good-Sized Television — No one wants to binge their favorite shows on anything less than 45″. It’s hard to see and it just isn’t quality. Travel nurses get lonely, and sometimes watching a favorite show is how we comfort ourselves. Also, please have the TV on a television stand that has storage or hung nicely on the wall. 
• A Coffee Table — We don’t want a little 12″ by 12″ nightstand as our coffee table. We want it to be able to be our dinner table, our arts and crafts table. Please get something sturdy and regular-sized.
• An Extra Chair — have you ever gone over to someone’s house and there’s nowhere to sit but next to them on the couch? It’s awkward. Get a sitting chair or even a bench. Bonus if the bench has storage for things like extra blankets or games.
• Keyless Entry — Not having to worry about losing keys and just having a code that the tenant punches in to get into the property is beneficial for both them and you. I love when there is keyless entry — there is no such thing as locking yourself out and if you need to get into the unit for any reason, you have a master code to do so.

The Bedroom

We nurses work long, hard hours.

Having a comfortable place to sleep is of the utmost importance.

Bedroom essentials:

• A King-Sized Bed — King-sized is ideal. But, if you don’t have the room, a queen is just fine. But none of that twin-sized BS. I guarantee you won’t get any renters.
• A Comforter — When staying at a place that isn’t your own, there’s just something unappealing about having the bed covered in blankets. Or maybe it’s just me. Either way, buy a nice comforter and have a duvet cover on it that can be washed. I also recommend sticking with a neutral color with no print or design on it.
• A Nightstand — We need a place to charge our phone, a lamp, a book, and a place for our water (because we’re always dehydrated). Make it sturdy (not wobbly) and have one on either side of the bed if you can.
• Blackout Curtains — You might not always get a traveler who works nights, but when you do, having blackout curtains so we can sleep during the day is a huge bonus. 
• Adequate Closet Space — I have been known to pass on places that don’t have good closet space. Where are we supposed to put all of our clothes? How about the bags that we use to travel with? We live out of our suitcases and we need somewhere to store them when not in use.
• Clothes Hangers — I can’t tell you how many times I have had to purchase clothes hangers. Please provide some — like, at least 50 of them.

The Kitchen

I went into this a little bit above, but like I said: we aren’t here on vacation. We’re living here full time and need a place to actually live…and meal prep.

Kitchen essentials include:

• Sink
• Refrigerator
• Cupboard space
• Countertops
• Stovetop
• Oven
• Dishwasher
• Cook-Ware
• Silverware
• Plates and bowls
• Water glasses
• Salad bowls (for popcorn)
• Cutting boards
• Dishrack
• Coffee maker (get a Keurig)
• Air Fryer
• Kitchen towels
• Pot-holders
• Tupperware
• Baking sheets
• Baking dishes
• Measuring spoons/cups
• Serving spoons/Spatulas
• Collander

Amenities

The amenities here are things that make our stay just a little bit nicer.

We only have so much room in our cars for all of our belongings, which means we only travel with the essentials.

So if you can provide us with extra goodies that make us say, “Oh, awesome!” when we find it, then we will LOVE you.

These things include:

• Designated parking
• A yard
• All utilities are taken care of
• Keurig coffee maker
• Air Fryer
• Washer and Dryer (in-unit if you can)
• TV streaming apps
• Smart TV (should be standard at this point)
• Smart thermostat
• Outdoor security cameras that we have access to
• A hot-tub
• An updated, modern shower
• Luxury shower head (bonus if it is filtered and is adjustable)
• Counter space in the bathroom
• A kick-ass cordless vacuum
• Designated office space (a lot of us have side hustles)
• Heated blanket
• Keyless entry (for the front door)
• A garage
• Phone chargers on each nightstand (that can be used with any cell phone)
• Hand soap
• Ceiling fans
• Free-standing fans

Bonus Amenities

If you really want to go the extra mile and make your traveler’s experience A+ (even maybe scoring your listing a nice review), here are some suggestions.

Bonus amenities:

• Extra blankets
• Clocks
• Jewelry stand
• Books
• Lettuce cleaner
• Pantry staples (cooking oils, spices, sugar, flour, vanilla extract, top ramen, rice)
• Water filter pitcher
• Lamps with nice, soft lighting (please, no fluorescents)
• Dimmable lamps with phone charging capabilities
• Makeup mirror
• Far-reaching wifi
• Kleenex
• Extra paper towels and toilet paper
• Wall art
• Tea kettle
• A “welcome guide” (a self-made guide with things to know about the house and good places to eat, activities to do)

Other Posts You might be interested in…

The Lease

When drafting a lease for your furnished rental, it is a good idea to add in an early termination clause. 

With every place I live, if they don’t have one of these, I ask for it to be added in. It’s for both your and our protection.

Also, life happens.

Say my contract gets canceled for low census. Now what? I’m out of the job and have to now scramble to find a new contract, probably in a new city, and I have to move out.

Early termination clauses can look like giving a minimum 30-day notice if moving out before said term dates. Or it can include a lease-breaking fee where the tenant pays a set amount for leaving early and that’s it (while of course leaving the full month’s rent paid).

I also recommend having the initial lease dates for the term of their travel contract and then having the lease move to a month-to-month situation automatically.

We often will extend at a job if we like it there and they have room for us.

This is great for you as you no longer have to look for a new tenant.

Temporary Housing Decor Recommendations

When people are looking for a new place to live, especially when it’s furnished, aesthetics are very important. 

We want it to look modern, new, and fresh.

Use lots of whites, neutrals, and earth tones.

When I come across an ad for a property and the place looks dark and has a bunch of old wooden furniture — I’m running for the hills.

Buy some plants, both leafy and succulent, get some art from Target or Ikea (generic, but trendy), and remember that less is more.

You can decorate, but make it classy — no one wants to move into a place that has stuff everywhere. It feels stuffy, chaotic, and not clean.

I also recommend finding inspiration using the internet.

Find Inspiration

Sites like Pinterest are excellent when looking for temporary housing decor ideas. 

I like to search for “modern home decor” and go from there.

You can also google that same term if you’re not on Pinterest.

Also, take a look at your competition.

What do their places look like? How much are they charging for a space similar to yours?

Find something that you like and then just straight up copy it.

No one is going to know. 

Trust me. 

And if spending this money is stressing you out, just think about the amount of return on your investment that you’ll receive. 

Having thousands of dollars of steady income come in month after month — it’s the ultimate passive income dream.         

How To Write A Furnished Finder Listing

The listing that you make and post is so important.

It’s your virtual store-front for what you are trying to sell (well, rent) — and that is your property.

The listing must have two things: excellent photos, and a clear, concise, but detailed, description of the unit.

The Photos

My suggestion for this part starts with the photos.

My best advice for the listing photos is to hire a professional. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive and fancy — I would search on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist to start. There is also UpWork and Fiverr.

If that isn’t feasible, then here are some tips on taking excellent interior photos:

• 1. Clean and Declutter:
  • Ensure all rooms are clean and clutter-free.
  • Remove personal items to create a neutral, inviting space.
  2. Use Natural Light and Interior Lighting:
  • Take photos during the day when natural light is abundant — morning or late afternoon is best.
  • Open curtains and blinds, and turn on all lights.
  • Avoid using the flash to prevent harsh shadows.
  3. Use HDR Mode:
  • Enable HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode for balanced exposure.
  • How to Enable HDR: Open the Camera app, tap “HDR” at the top of the screen, and select “Auto” or “On”.
  4. Keep the Camera Steady:
  • Hold your iPhone steady or use a tripod to avoid blurry photos.
  • Hold the phone between your chest and belly button for the best angle
  5. Choose the Right Angles and Use Wide Shots:
  • Shoot from a corner to capture more of the room and make it appear larger.
  • Use the iPhone’s wide-angle lens for broader shots.
  • How to Use Wide-Angle Lens: In the Camera app, tap “0.5” to switch to the ultra-wide lens.
  6. Edit Your Photos:
  • Enhance brightness, contrast, and color using the iPhone’s editing tools.
  • How to Edit Photos: Open the Photos app, select a photo, tap “Edit”, and adjust the settings as needed.
  7. Use the Grid Feature for Alignment:
  • Enable the grid feature to keep shots level and well-composed.
  • How to Enable Grid: Go to “Settings” > “Camera” > toggle on “Grid”.

Remember, keep things light and bright, and don’t overcomplicate it.

Next is the writing of the listing.

The Writing 

Include as much detail as possible. Renting to travel nurses means we aren’t always able to see the place in person, so we appreciate all the details you can provide.

I also don’t recommend using AI.

I read so many AI listing descriptions and it’s painfully obvious when it’s used.

It also makes the listing seem not as genuine and real. Not ideal when you’re asking someone to give you thousands of dollars site unseen.

Things not to forget:

• Indicate whether it’s a separate unit or not 
• Private entrance
• Laundry status (in-unit, in complex, or none)
• Parking situation
• Utilities (who pays what)
• Pet Policy
• Deposit amount
• All of the amenities you have to offer

I also highly recommend that you read the ad out loud to make sure it flows properly and makes sense.

Where To Post Your Listing

If you can only post your travel nurse housing listing in one place, put it on Furnished Finder.

They are the best travel nurse housing website and the go-to platform for all travel nurses. 

My other recommendations on where to post your listing are:

• Trulia
• Zillow
• Airbnb
• PadMapper
• Zumper

The more places you post, the better chance you have of getting a tenant.

I recommend posting everywhere — just remember to keep the ad consistent.

Conclusion

With a fully furnished home that is chock full of amenities and has a modern, bright aesthetic, you should have no problem renting out your short-term rental. 

Decorating your furnished rental doesn’t have to break the bank, either.

After spending some time on Pinterest and figuring out what style you want to go with, head out to Home Goods and Marshalls and check out estate sales and thrift stores — you’re bound to find some treasures.

And if you ever want a travel nurse’s opinion on your space, send me an email and I’d be happy to help you out.

Happy decorating!

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