What to check before you sign a 13-week contract in Newark

Three months is a long time to spend somewhere you picked from six photos and a map pin. Most housing problems we hear about are not dramatic — nobody gets scammed. They are small things that turn into daily friction: nowhere to park after a night shift, laundry three blocks away, a kitchen with one saucepan, a landlord who answers on Thursdays.

Here is the list we would use ourselves. It works for any host, including the ones who are not us.

1. How far is it really, at the hour you actually drive?

Distance in miles tells you very little in this part of New Jersey. What matters is the drive at 06:45 and at 19:15, when shift change and commuter traffic collide. Ask the host how long the drive takes at those hours, not in the middle of the day, and check the route yourself for a weekday morning rather than the Sunday you happen to be looking.

2. Where does the car go?

Parking is the single most common complaint in dense Newark neighbourhoods. You want a specific answer, not "there's usually space." Is there a driveway, a permit, a lot, or is it street parking — and if it is street parking, what happens on street-cleaning days?

3. Is the laundry in the building, and is it free?

Scrubs need washing far more often than ordinary clothes. A laundromat visit each week is two hours you will resent by week three. In-unit is best, in-building is fine, "there's one nearby" is a real cost.

4. What is actually in the kitchen?

"Fully equipped" means different things to different hosts. If you cook, ask directly: pots and pans, a sharp knife, a baking tray, storage containers, a working oven. Eating out for thirteen weeks is expensive and, on nights, mostly impossible.

5. Are utilities and Wi-Fi included — and how fast is the Wi-Fi?

Most monthly furnished rentals include utilities, but confirm it in writing, and ask for a speed-test screenshot if you plan to stream or take calls. A house with four people sharing one slow connection is a different experience from a dedicated line.

6. What happens if your contract gets extended — or cancelled?

Contracts move. Ask the host what extending looks like, how much notice they need, and what happens if the assignment is cancelled in week two. A host who has hosted nurses before will have a clear answer, because they have lived through it.

The best signal that a host understands travel nurses is that they ask you about your contract dates, your hospital and your shift pattern before they talk about price.

7. Can your agency or employer be invoiced?

If housing is covered by a stipend, you usually just need a clean invoice and a lease or confirmation letter. If your agency pays the housing directly, the host has to be willing to invoice a company and wait for their payment terms. Not every host will, so ask before you plan around it.

8. Who do you call at 11pm when something breaks?

Ask for the name and the number of the person who actually turns up. In a building managed at arm's length, the honest answer is sometimes "a ticket system." Knowing that in advance is worth more than a nicer sofa.

A note on seeing the place

Most travel nurses book from another state and never see the home until they arrive with a suitcase. Ask for a video walkthrough — not a curated tour, a phone held in someone's hand walking through the whole place, including the stairs and the street outside. Any host who is proud of the property will do this happily. A host who will not is telling you something.

Written by the team at H1 Enterprises, who host furnished monthly stays in Newark, New Jersey. We wrote this because we answer these eight questions on the phone several times a month.