Questions to ask a host before you book a furnished home

The most useful questions to ask before renting a furnished home on assignment cover four things: the home, the area, the terms and the host. Clear answers let you compare places fairly, avoid surprises on move-in day and know what protects you if something goes wrong.

This guide groups the questions by topic and explains why each one matters, so you can copy what you need into your first message to a host. It also covers how short-term rental rules differ in British Columbia, Toronto and Quebec, and which answers should make you pause.

Key takeaways

• Ask about the home, the area, the terms and the host before you pay anything, and keep the answers in writing.
• Confirm the exact dates, the total monthly cost, the deposit and what happens if your assignment is extended or cut short.
• Registration rules depend on stay length: Toronto requires registration for stays under 28 consecutive days, Quebec for stays of 31 days or fewer, and BC exempts rentals with minimum stays of 90 consecutive days or more.
• Many furnished monthly stays fall outside provincial tenancy laws, so your written agreement with the host may be the main thing that sets your rights.
• A price well below the local market, combined with a host who cannot show the home, is a strong warning sign of rental fraud.

What should you ask about the home itself?

Photos show a home at its best. Your questions should find out how it works on an ordinary day, after a 12-hour shift, when you just need to eat, shower and sleep.

• Are the photos current? Furniture, appliances and finishes change. Recent photos tell you what you will actually walk into.
• Is it the whole home, or will you share space? Sharing a kitchen or bathroom changes your privacy and, in Ontario, can change which rules apply to you.
• How dark and quiet is the bedroom during the day? If you work nights, ask about blackout blinds, street noise, shared walls and neighbours with young children or late hours.
• What size is the bed, and how old is the mattress? Sleep is not optional in your job.
• How well equipped is the kitchen? Ask about pots, a decent knife, a microwave and enough fridge space for a week of packed meals.
• Is there laundry in the home? Scrubs pile up fast, and a shared laundry room on another floor costs time.
• How reliable is the internet? You may need it for charting modules, video calls home or streaming to wind down.
• Who controls the heat and air conditioning? A thermostat you cannot adjust matters in a Canadian winter or a hot summer.
• Who else has a key? You should know whether cleaners, maintenance staff or family members may enter, and with how much notice.

What to ask about the area and your commute

Distance on a map is a start, but your commute happens at shift change, often in the dark and sometimes in snow. These questions help you picture the real trip.

• How long is the drive or transit trip at 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.? Rush hour and night service can turn a short distance into a long trip.
• Is there parking at the home, and is it included? Ask about winter parking rules, snow clearing and whether a block heater outlet is available.
• Does transit run when your shifts start and end? Some routes stop late at night or run rarely on weekends.
• Is the walk from the bus stop or parking spot well lit? You may be coming home alone after midnight.
• Where is the nearest grocery store and pharmacy? Short errands are easier when they do not need a car.
• Is the street quiet during the day? Construction, schools or busy bars nearby affect day sleepers more than anyone.

On Travel Nurse Houses, you can search by the hospital you are assigned to, and each home shows its distance to nearby hospitals. Use that as your starting point, then ask the host the timing questions above.

Questions to ask before renting: the terms, dates and money

Most disagreements between travelers and hosts come down to terms nobody wrote down. Settle these before you pay.

• What are the exact move-in and move-out dates? Check that they match your assignment, including orientation days and travel time.
• Can you check in early or late? If you arrive after a long drive or straight from a night shift, a flexible arrival time helps.
• What is the full monthly cost, and what does it include? Ask whether utilities, internet, parking and cleaning are in the price or extra.
• How much is the deposit, when is it returned and what could be deducted? Get this in writing, along with how the home's condition will be recorded at move-in.
• How and when do you pay? Ask about the payment method, due dates and receipts.
• What happens if your assignment is cancelled or shortened? Contracts change, and you want to know the notice period and any cost before it happens.
• Could you extend if your contract is extended? Ask whether the host has bookings after your end date.
• Is there a written agreement, and can you read it before paying? A host who is happy to share the agreement early is usually easy to work with.

Which rules apply to your stay, and should the listing have a registration number?

Short-term rental rules in Canada depend on where the home is and how long you stay. A registration number may be required for short stays, but monthly or longer stays can legitimately fall outside these rules, so a missing number is not always a problem.

Place	When registration applies	What to check
British Columbia	Hosts must show a valid provincial registration number on online listings, plus a local business licence number where the community requires one. Rentals with minimum stays of 90 consecutive days or more are exempt.	For stays shorter than 90 days, look for the number. Platforms remove unregistered listings and cancel their bookings.
Toronto	Operators renting for less than 28 consecutive days must register with the City.	For short stays, invoices, contracts and receipts must include the registration number.
Quebec	A registration number is mandatory for lodging tourists for periods not exceeding 31 days.	The six-digit number must appear in all advertising.

The second question is whether tenancy law covers you. In BC, the Residential Tenancy Act does not apply to vacation or travel accommodation, although it will generally apply if the home is rented under a tenancy agreement. In Ontario, the Residential Tenancies Act does not apply if you share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner or the owner's family, or if the unit is used on a seasonal or temporary basis.

So ask the host plainly: is this a tenancy agreement or a travel accommodation agreement? If it is the second, the written agreement is what you will rely on. To confirm how the rules apply to your situation, check with your province's tenancy office, such as the Landlord and Tenant Board in Ontario or the Residential Tenancy Branch in BC.

What should you ask about the host?

You are trusting a stranger with your home base for weeks or months. A few questions about how the host operates tell you a lot.

• Who do you contact if something breaks, and how fast do they respond? A broken heater on a January night needs a real answer, not a promise to look into it next week.
• Does the host or anyone else live on site? This affects privacy, noise and shared spaces.
• Have they hosted healthcare workers before? Hosts used to shift schedules tend to understand day sleeping and odd arrival times.
• What are the house rules? Ask about visitors, smoking, pets and quiet hours so you are not surprised later.
• How much notice will they give before entering? You want to know nobody will walk in while you sleep after a night shift.
• Can they do a live video walkthrough? Seeing the home in real time confirms it exists and matches the photos.

Good hosts ask questions back, about your dates, your assignment and who will be staying. On Travel Nurse Houses, you can earn a verified nurse badge after TNH staff check your nursing licence, which gives hosts an early reason to trust you too.

Which answers should make you pause?

Most hosts answer clearly and quickly. Some answers, or a lack of them, are worth slowing down for.

• The price is well below similar homes nearby and the host cannot show the home in person or by live video. One renter guide calls this combination the strongest sign of rental fraud.
• The host pressures you to pay quickly, or to pay by a method that is hard to trace or reverse.
• The address is vague, or changes between messages.
• The host will not share a written agreement before you pay.
• A listing for a short stay in a place that requires registration shows no registration number.
• Answers to simple questions about the home, like the bed size or parking, are evasive or contradict the listing.

If you suspect fraud, report the listing to the platform where you found it, file a report with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and contact your local police.

How to ask these questions without writing an essay

You do not need to send every question above. Pick the ones that matter for your assignment and group them into one clear message.

1. Start with your dates, the hospital you are assigned to and your shift pattern.
2. Ask your two or three most important questions about the home and the commute.
3. Ask for the full monthly cost, what it includes, the deposit and the cancellation terms.
4. Ask whether there is a written agreement you can read before paying.

On Travel Nurse Houses, travelers message hosts directly, so your questions and the host's answers stay together in one thread. That record is useful if you need to check what was agreed later. You can search homes near your hospital to start shortlisting, and the help centre covers how messaging works.

A few clear questions now can save you a difficult month later. Choose the questions that fit your assignment, then search homes near your hospital and send your first message to a host with your dates and shift pattern.

Frequently asked questions

What questions should I ask before renting a furnished home for a travel assignment?

Focus on four areas: the home, the area, the terms and the host. Ask about sleep conditions, the commute at shift-change times, the full monthly cost and what it includes, the deposit and cancellation terms, and who handles repairs. Get the answers in writing before you pay.

Does a monthly furnished rental need a registration number in Canada?

It depends on where the home is and the length of the stay. Toronto requires registration for stays under 28 consecutive days and Quebec for stays of 31 days or fewer, while BC exempts rentals with minimum stays of 90 consecutive days or more. A monthly or longer stay may legitimately have no registration number.

Is my furnished monthly rental covered by tenancy law?

Not always. In BC, the Residential Tenancy Act does not apply to vacation or travel accommodation unless the home is rented under a tenancy agreement. In Ontario, the Residential Tenancies Act does not apply if you share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner or their family, or if the unit is used on a seasonal or temporary basis. Your province's tenancy office can confirm how the rules apply to you.

How much of a deposit can a host ask for?

Deposit limits only apply when tenancy law covers the stay. For tenancies covered by Ontario's standard lease, the landlord can only collect a last month's rent deposit and a refundable key deposit, and BC's deposit caps likewise apply only to residential tenancies. For travel accommodation, the deposit is set by your agreement, so confirm the amount, the return date and any deductions in writing.

What happens if my assignment is cancelled after I book housing?

That depends entirely on the agreement you made with the host. Before you pay, ask what notice you need to give and whether any amount is non-refundable if your contract ends early. Having this in writing avoids a stressful negotiation at a bad time.

How can I tell if a host is real?

Ask for a live video walkthrough, a clear address and a written agreement before you pay. Be cautious if the price is well below similar homes nearby and the host cannot show the home. If something feels wrong, report the listing to the platform and contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.