Quick Answer: Short-Term and Furnished Housing for Travel Nurses in San Antonio usually means a furnished apartment, corporate rental or extended-stay suite held for three to six months rather than a full year. For a 13 week contract, the best fit is the option that bundles furniture, utilities and internet into one monthly payment within an easy drive of your assigned hospital.
Most assignments here run 13 weeks. Most apartment leases run twelve months. That mismatch is the entire challenge behind Short-Term and Furnished Housing for Travel Nurses in San Antonio, and it catches experienced travelers as often as first timers. Onyx at Oslo serves the UTSA and Loop 1604 corridor of northwest San Antonio, the side of town where the South Texas Medical Center sits, with apartments in northwest San Antonio built for people who need a real home base rather than a hotel room.
What to Look For in Short-Term and Furnished Housing for Travel Nurses in San Antonio
Start with three things: the shortest lease term the community will actually sign, what the monthly price covers, and the commute to your unit assignment. Everything else is preference. A cheap rate that excludes electricity, internet and a furniture package is rarely cheap once the first full month lands.
What furnished housing actually includes
The word gets used loosely. Some listings mean a bed, a couch and a table. Others mean plates, towels and a stocked kitchen drawer. Ask for a written inventory before you commit, because arriving after a cross-country drive to an apartment with no pots is a bad first night.
Utilities are the second gap. Corporate and extended-stay products usually roll power, water and internet into one figure. A standard apartment lease normally leaves those in your name, which is fine, but it changes the number you should be comparing.
Lease terms that fit 13 week housing
Ask the leasing office directly whether a three, four or six month term is available and what the short-term premium is. Plenty of communities will write a shorter lease at a higher monthly rate, and that premium is often still less than three months in an extended-stay suite. Get the term in writing before you pay an application fee.
Extensions matter too. Contracts get renewed, and a lease ending in week fourteen with no renewal path means moving twice in one assignment.
How Much Should Travel Nurse Housing in San Antonio Cost Against Your Stipend?
There is no single right number, but there is a useful benchmark. The U.S. General Services Administration sets federal per diem rates by city, and for fiscal year 2026, covering October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026, San Antonio carries a lodging rate of $137 per night for most of the year, rising to $161 in February and March. The meals and incidentals rate is $74 per day.
Read that as a reference ceiling, not as your paycheck. Agencies set their own stipends and many pay below the federal figure. If a furnished rental sits well under the monthly equivalent of that lodging rate, you are usually in reasonable territory.
Comparing short term rentals San Antonio travelers actually use
| Housing type | Typical minimum stay | Usually included | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extended-stay hotel | Nightly, no lease | Furniture, utilities, housekeeping | Highest nightly rate and a small kitchen |
| Private furnished sublet | 30 days | Furniture, often utilities and linens | No on-site staff, quality varies by owner |
| Corporate housing | 30 to 90 days | Full furniture package, utilities, internet | Priced above a standard lease, limited inventory |
| Apartment on a short lease | 3 to 6 months where offered | Full apartment plus community amenities | Furniture is often a separate add-on |
| Best fit for a 13 week contract | 3 months | Furniture, utilities and internet in one payment | Confirm the term in writing before you sign |
Furnished apartments San Antonio travelers book, versus renting furniture yourself
A furniture rental package on top of an unfurnished apartment sometimes beats a fully furnished rate, especially past the three month mark. Run both numbers. Include delivery, pickup and any minimum rental period, since a two month furniture minimum is a common trap.
Where Do Travel Nurse Apartments Put You Closest to the Medical Center?
The South Texas Medical Center occupies roughly 900 acres on the northwest side of the city and holds dozens of medical institutions, including University Health on Medical Drive, Methodist Hospital on Floyd Curl Drive and UT Health San Antonio. Living northwest keeps you on the same side of town as that cluster and off the downtown interchange during shift change.
San Antonio apartments along Loop 1604 and I-10
The 1604 and I-10 corridor gives you a direct route south toward the Medical Center and a straight shot north toward Stone Oak facilities. It is also where the grocery stores, gyms and late-night food sit, which matters more than people expect when you finish a twelve hour shift at 8 p.m. Check the map and directions page to measure your own route before you sign anything.
Amenities carry real weight on a short assignment. A pool, a 24 hour fitness center and in-unit laundry replace a gym membership and a laundromat run, so compare the community amenities and the available studio, one and two bedroom floor plans alongside the rent figure rather than after it.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are short term apartments available for a 13 week contract in San Antonio?
Yes, though availability shifts month to month and short terms usually carry a premium. Call the leasing office rather than relying on a listing site, ask for the shortest term they will sign, and confirm four details before you send a deposit:
- The exact lease end date and any early termination fee
- Whether a furniture package is offered or must be rented separately
- Which utilities are included and which go in your name
- Whether the term can be extended if your contract renews
2. Do travel nurse rentals in San Antonio include utilities and internet?
Corporate housing and extended-stay suites almost always include them. A standard apartment lease usually does not, so budget for electricity, water and a Wi-Fi plan separately. Ask for the figure in writing, because an all-in monthly price and a base rent are not comparable numbers on a three month stay.
3. Is furnished housing cheaper than a hotel for a three month assignment?
Generally yes. The GSA lodging benchmark for San Antonio runs $137 per night through most of fiscal year 2026, and three months at a nightly rate adds up fast. A furnished monthly rental spreads that cost over a lease term and gives you a full kitchen, which quietly cuts the food budget too.
4. Do I need a Texas nursing license for a San Antonio assignment?
Texas participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so a multistate license from another compact state generally lets you practice here without a separate Texas license. Your temporary assignment does not change your primary state of residence. If you do make Texas your permanent home, the Board requires licensure by endorsement.
5. How far ahead should I book nurse housing in San Antonio?
Three to four weeks before your start date is the usual guidance, and earlier during spring break and summer when the city fills up with visitors. Short-term inventory is thin. Waiting until your first week on assignment usually means paying hotel rates while you search.
One More Thing Before You Sign
Watch the calendar on back-to-back extensions. The IRS treats an assignment as temporary when you realistically expect it to last one year or less, and once you expect to stay longer than a year in one location, that location becomes your tax home and the tax-free treatment of travel expenses ends. Two 13 week contracts are nowhere near that line. Four or five in the same city start to approach it, so talk to a tax professional before you renew again.
Finding the Right Short-Term and Furnished Housing for Travel Nurses in San Antonio
The right choice comes down to a short lease you can actually sign, a monthly figure that includes what you need, and a northwest San Antonio address that keeps your commute to the Medical Center simple. Compare the total monthly cost against your stipend, confirm the furniture and utility details in writing, and book early. Reach out to the Onyx at Oslo leasing team to ask what terms are available for your assignment dates.
