Will your temporary housing money last?
ALE (Additional Living Expenses) is the part of your policy that pays for somewhere to live while your home is repaired. Most families have no idea how fast it burns. Run your numbers in 60 seconds.
The 60-second ALE check
Grab your declarations page. Your ALE limit is usually listed as Coverage D or Loss of Use.
That budget number is the most you can spend per month on the Airbnb or apartment itself and still land inside your limit. Everything else (the extras) is already accounted for.
How ALE actually works (the 3-minute version)
It is your money, not charity. You paid premiums for this coverage. Using it is not asking for a favor.
What it covers: hotel, Airbnb or short-term rental, temporary apartment, restaurant meals above your normal grocery spend, laundry, pet boarding, and extra mileage from the longer commute. If displacement caused the cost, it usually belongs in ALE.
The receipt rule: no receipt, no reimbursement. Photograph every receipt the day you get it and keep a running total against your limit.
The carrier's favorite move: steering you toward the cheapest option and "forgetting" to mention you are entitled to comparable living standards, meaning like kind and quality to what you had.
The trap: ALE runs out mid-rebuild more often than families expect, and a rebuild that stalls does not pause your rent. Budget monthly, track the burn, and never assume the timeline the adjuster quoted you.
For the one doing the worrying
Here is the usual arc: a week or two in a hotel, then an Airbnb while you catch your breath, then a temporary apartment for the long middle stretch. Each step down in nightly cost stretches your coverage further. The families who get blindsided are the ones who never did the monthly math, so do it now, revisit it every month, and keep the receipts in one place.
Know your housing number. Now know your claim number.
Housing is one piece. The free Claim Score reads the whole claim in about 4 minutes.
General information only, not advice about your specific policy. Coverage language varies, so check your declarations page and endorsements.