All Forum Posts by: Roman Puzey

I just wanted to share some of my experience as well as a poll I took as to what travel nurses are looking for in housing. I will separate it by the two most common types of travel nurses; those who try and optimize their income, and those who travel for the experience. Please keep in mind this is more of a spectrum, so some nurses who are in it to optimize their income still might want a really nice place to stay, and nurses for experience may still want decently affordable housing. 

To start, here are some things that you may want to include in your listing, or that nurses may look for in a listing regardless of which type of nurse books.

- Proximity: 15-30 minutes from hospitals is usually a pretty good distance. Some nurses may be okay driving a little more, but most prefer the 15 minute drive. 

- Pet Friendly: A LOT of nurses (myself included) travel with pets. I look for a decent sized fenced back yard so I can let my dog run around outside. While not a deal breaker, consider setting something up specifically for pets (food/water bowls, dog towel, Rover Service/Boarding Service Recommendations or maybe even a kennel).

- Treat your MTR more like a STR. Provide basically the same amenities, but does not have to be to par as a true vacation rental. Nice towels, linen, fully stocked kitchen WITH MICROWAVE, COFFEE MAKER/BAR, good WiFi, decent Smart TV, In-Unit Washer and Dryer is a big plus!

- Room darkening shades is a great amenity for the night shift people

- Overall, just make sure it is comfortable, clean, and equipped for a busy and tired working professional. 

I had a poll and out of 95 people who voted for size of housing (shared vs private 1-2 bed vs private 3+ bed),

80 voted that they look for private 1-2 bedroom properties

10 voted that they look for shared housing (rent by the room)

5 voted that they travel with others need 3+ bedrooms

Nurses who try and optimize their income: These nurses are usually looking for either shared housing, or an affordable 1-2 bedroom. They like all the basic amenities I mentioned above, but are willing to sacrifice quality and comfort to some degree for the ability to save 50% or more of their housing stipend. Usually willing to drive a little farther out to save some money. 

Nurses who travel for the experience: These nurses are usually either those who have no true "Home Base" that they are tied to, are traveling with family, or are just really doing it more for the chance to visit cool places. These nurses usually are looking for either a nice private 1-2 bedroom place in a great spot in town, within 15 minutes of the hospital, or are traveling with multiple people/family. They are usually okay with spending their entire housing stipend on a nice place to stay, but would still like to save a little if they can. They look for all nice quality amenities listed above.

I have a 4/3 property 5 minutes from a hospital and have had a hard time getting it rented to traveling nurses. It was going to be an airbnb but then we ran into some permitting issues. Typically lower bedroom count units(1-2) get better returns for MTRs that are targeting traveling nurses. 

I briefly looked through the ordinance for Centennial and didn't see anything about a limit on the number of licenses in Centennial. There are limits to the number of people that can be at one specific STR - 2 per bedroom not including children under 16.

Hey, @Roman Puzey! So exciting that you're looking for your first house hacking property! With rates where they are and home prices where they are, it is going to be tought to find anything that cash flows right now. Your best bet is to find something that will make the greatest impact on your monthly payment. Ex: If your mortgage is $3k and you can rent out your basement for $1500, you're left with a $1500 mortgage payment which isn't all bad. 

There are no restrictions on any rentals that are 30+ days (MTR) in the Denver metro area - only less than 30 days (STR). Arvada, Centennial, Wheat Ridge, Unincorporated Adams County are all STR friendly although Arvada has a caveat of only allowing 240 days per year as an STR and Wheat Ridge has likely met the limit for STR licenses by now. MTR is a great strategy and in terms of location, you want to find something that is 10-15 minutes from hospitals. From the nurses I've spoken with, something closer to Denver or the south towns would be your best bet in terms of desirability.

Hope that helps!