ALE advance payments: how to get living expense money before the receipts

Key facts

• California: an advance of no less than four months of living expenses on request (Ins. Code §2061).
• Colorado: loss of use paid within 20 days of documentation; a signed lease counts; advance rent allowed for family, livestock and pets (HB22-1111).
• Washington's regulator: ask for an advance in writing with a specific, itemized amount, then reconcile against receipts.
• Median security deposit across 699 active RV rental units: $1,000, due at booking, measured 2026-09-18.
• United Policyholders publishes a sample letter for requesting ALE information.

Which states require an advance?

• California: on request, an advance of no less than four months of living expenses after an emergency-related loss.
• Colorado: loss of use paid within 20 days of documentation. A signed lease counts, and advance rent may be paid for the household, family members, livestock and pets.
• Oregon: the statute we read does not address advances.
• Everywhere else: no statute, but regulators advise a written, itemized request, and insurers often agree.

What is due before the first check?

The deposit and the first period of rent, at signing. Across 699 active RV rental units the median security deposit was $1,000. Put it on the request as its own line.

What goes in the request?

1. Claim number, date of loss, and the uninhabitability finding.
2. The statute by section if you are in California or Colorado; otherwise a sentence requesting an advance against Loss of Use coverage.
3. An itemized amount: rent or nightly rate for the period, deposit, moving and storage, and the increase in food and transport.
4. A sentence that you will reconcile the advance against receipts in the monthly packet.
5. The date you need the answer by, tied to the landlord's deadline.

What people assume, and why it costs them

That the first check has to arrive before they can sign, so they lose the unit. The order is the reverse: get the comparable rate and the advance decision in writing, then sign.

Questions people ask

Can I ask for an advance if my state has no law about it?

Yes. Regulators advise it and insurers often agree when the request is itemized and dated. The request also creates the record you point at if the first month's rent comes due before the first check.

What goes in the advance request?

Claim number, date of loss, the uninhabitability finding, the statute section if you have one, an itemized amount covering rent or nightly rate, deposit, moving and storage and the increase in food and transport, and a date you need the answer by.

How much should I ask for?

Enough to cover the first period of housing plus the deposit. Deposits are due at booking, before any payment clock starts; the median deposit across one national RV fleet was $1,000.

What if the insurer says no?

Ask for the refusal in writing with the reason, then request the comparable housing rate and a payment schedule instead. A lump sum based on a comparable rental rate times the policy's time limit is a method survivors report insurers have used.

What to do next

1. Find your state in the ALE time limits by state table.
2. Send the itemized advance request by email in week one and keep the sent copy.
3. Open the account that will receive ALE money and nothing else.
4. Start the monthly ALE packet; the advance is reconciled inside it.

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How we know

Each finding below names its source, what we did to it, what it means for you and what it costs to ignore. Figures marked measured decay and are re-measured before they are 60 days old.

Reviewed by TempHome Finder editorial. Published 2026-09-06. Updated 2026-09-07.