Temporary housing after a home loss: the four options and how to choose by months

Key facts

• Typical ALE time limit: 12 to 24 months (Washington OIC).
• Marshall Fire homes reached 75 percent occupancy 47 months after the fire; Lahaina had 410 homes under construction at 36 months.
• 69 percent of RV units on one national fleet sleep six or more; the median sleeps six (measured 2026-09-18).
• Each change of housing costs a deposit, a move and a new comparable-rate approval.

What are the four types of temporary housing?

• Hotel. Days to two weeks. No kitchen, so every meal is a reimbursable increase and every folio must be split. Hotel stays under ALE.
• Furnished rental. Weeks to months, where inventory exists. The lease length is the decision. Furnished temporary housing.
• RV on your lot. Months, when the receptacle, the pad and the county allow it. RV temporary housing.
• RV park pad. Months, when the lot fails on wastewater, debris or the HOA. Monthly RV park sites.

How many months do you actually have?

The typical ALE time limit is 12 to 24 months. The two county rebuild dashboards we read stood at 47 and 36 months with work still under way. Choose housing for the rebuild you have, not the cap you were given.

Does the household fit?

The median RV unit sleeps six and 69 percent sleep six or more. Capacity rarely rules the RV path out; the lot does. For seven or more, ask for fifth wheels.

How do you decide?

1. Get the contractor's written estimate of months to occupancy and add half again.
2. Read your ALE time cap and dollar cap; find your state on ALE time limits by state.
3. Under a month: hotel, then reassess at week two.
4. Over a month with a usable lot: RV on the lot, priced monthly.
5. Over a month without a lot: furnished if inventory exists, park pad if not.

The housing-fit quiz asks the three questions in order.

Questions people ask

What counts as temporary housing for insurance?

Comparable housing while a covered loss keeps you out of your home: a hotel, a furnished apartment or house, or an RV on your lot or a park pad, at a rate the adjuster approves as comparable to your home.

How do I know how many months I have?

Get the contractor's written estimate to occupancy and add half again. Then read your policy's time cap. If the estimate exceeds the cap, plan the extension request and a fallback from the start.

Is an RV big enough for a family?

Usually. The median unit sleeps six and 69 percent sleep six or more. Capacity rarely rules the RV path out; the lot does.

Should I start in a hotel?

Yes, for the first days while the scope is written. Decide the months option by the end of week two, because a hotel is the most expensive way to spend the dollar cap once a stay runs long.

Can I switch types later?

Yes, but each switch costs a deposit, a move and a new approval. Choose once for the rebuild you have.

What to do next

1. Get the contractor's written estimate of months to occupancy.
2. Read the ALE time cap and dollar cap in your policy.
3. Under a month: hotel, then reassess at week two. Over a month with a usable lot: RV, priced monthly. Over a month without a lot: furnished if inventory exists, park pad if not.
4. Send the extension request before the time cap ends if the estimate runs past 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.