How Much Can You Make Renting to Travel Nurses in Florida?
⚠️ Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or medical advice. Rental laws, licensing, and regulations in Florida may vary by city or county. Always consult a licensed attorney, tax professional, or local authorities before renting to ensure compliance.
Hello and welcome. I’ve been hosting travel nurses for a year now. There’s actually an interesting statistic out there: travel nurses make 42% more than stationary nurses worldwide. These nurses are making a lot of money traveling the world and providing their services from hospital to hospital. And of course, they don’t want to be stuck with a TV and a couch everywhere — it’s up to you and me to provide accommodations if you want to renting out your property in Florida to travel nurses.
Unfortunately, people will always get sick, so this industry isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. It’s up to us to take advantage. In this article, I’m going to cover what travel nursing is, the cost of getting started, how to find tenants, closing the deal, and of course, a look at the big profits.
Two Ways to Host Travel Nurses
There are two ways I host these traveling nurses who are traveling from all over the world. In one way, I own these properties entirely. In another, I use a technique called rental arbitrage — but that’s reserved for another blog post. As mentioned, they’re not trying to move TVs and couches everywhere, so it’s up to us to provide these units and accommodations for these travel nurses, especially if you plan on renting out your house in Florida for this purpose.
The biggest positives I’ve seen over the past year hosting these nurses are that they’re the best renters you could ask for. They’re clean, they’re quiet, they’re working 12-hour shifts, and they just want to come home to a nice quiet place with Wi-Fi. They also pay on time, which is also a huge plus—it’s not something you always get from a landlord’s perspective if you’re in real estate. Going the travel nursing route has been a huge breath of fresh air, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
Furnishing Your Unit
When you’re preparing to host these traveling nurses, we need to furnish the unit before we do anything. I personally love Amazon, Wayfair, and Walmart. We’re looking for high quality, low prices. At the end of the day, this is a business and we want to keep overhead low while providing the best quality.
These nurses typically stay for 13 weeks at a time, so when you’re thinking about furnishing these units, you need to think about everything you’ll need if you’re staying somewhere for 3 months to feel comfortable. It’s a couch, a TV, a bed — make sure it’s queen-sized. And you know what? Let’s go ahead and comment below with everything you need in a 3-month period to feel comfortable during your stay.
Properly furnishing is especially important if you plan on renting your home in Florida to travel nurses, as these units need to feel like a home away from home.
Taking Photos and Listing Your Property
Now that we have the unit ready, it’s time to take pictures. All our staging is in place, and we’re ready to list. No need to go out and outsource it. I promise your iPhone or Android will do just fine. Now, of course, you probably want to put a filter on it to stand out from your competition, but there’s no need to hire a professional photographer. Your phone will do just fine.
Finding Tenants
Now that the place is furnished and we’ve taken our photos, it’s time to find our tenants. I use three different platforms to find all of my tenants, and they’re in no particular order.
Never underestimate the power of social media when it comes to marketing your listing. You can type in groups like Midwest Travel Nurses, and all of these groups are going to pop up. These are travel nurses who are looking for housing in your area.
TurboTenant
Think of TurboTenant as a one-stop shop for all things landlord-related. You’re one click away from blasting across 10 different platforms. This one is a little different from the rest because these tenants are typically looking for year-round leases, but it’s still very effective when it comes to housing.
FurnishedFinder
Think of FurnishedFinder like a matchmaker. Once a renter reaches out to a host (or vice versa), a lot can get lost in translation as they try to message back and forth on the platform. Do your best to get their cell phone number right away, get them on the phone, and finally close the deal.
These platforms are ideal for you if you’re looking to rent out your house in Florida for a nursing trip.
Closing the Deal
Once you have them on the phone, you want your list to sell. Keep in mind, they’ve probably already reached out to you, so a sale has likely already been made. Think of it like a car dealership: if I’m not interested in buying a car, I’m not going to the dealership. It’s the same with housing. If they don’t need housing, they won’t reach out to you, so your list is already working, and a sale has probably already happened. Just relax and let your list do the work.
Key Points to Cover on the Call:
- Security: Travel nurses typically travel with one to two people. They want to be in a safe environment at all times. Cover safety measures, whether it’s a home or an apartment building, and how safe the area is.
- Amenities: Swimming pool, fitness center, or a lounge in the building—these are what set you apart from the competition.
- Local attractions: Nearby beaches, amusement parks, zoos, or restaurants.
- Fees: Maintenance fees, cleaning fees, parking fees—don’t skip anything.
- Payment Collection: First month’s rent and security deposit required (refundable if no damages). The platforms I use are Venmo, Zelle, or Cash App. Occasionally, credit cards may be accepted through Square (with a 4% fee).
Important Systems for Success
Keep in mind, these nurses are staying for 13 weeks at a time, which means you need to fill the vacancy as soon as someone moves out. The most expensive unit is a vacant one.
Make sure you have a cleaning crew ready. This is very important, especially if you want this business to be profitable. When I first started, I cleaned myself to learn the business, but now with 30 units, a cleaning crew is essential.
Do you need a property management company? Not at first. Travel nurses are easy tenants — they pay on time and are usually clean.
Profit Potential
How much can you make per month? Typically, $3,000–$3,500 per unit. After expenses, that’s a profit of $1,500–$2,000 per unit per month. Scale that up across multiple units, and you can see why this is such a profitable business.
Conclusion
This is the perfect business if you want to take advantage of travel nurses. It can quickly change your financial future and build wealth.
If you find anything of value, be sure to comment below. This is exactly how to get out of the Rat Race and level up.
