Temporary Housing on Your Own Property in Georgia

When a hurricane, a tornado, or a falling tree leaves your Georgia home unlivable, your homeowners policy may pay for somewhere to stay while it is repaired. For many families, the best place is still home: a furnished travel trailer set up on your own lot, close to school, work, your pets, and the crew rebuilding the house. 1st Choice Living has provided on-site temporary housing nationwide since 2004, and this page explains how it works in Georgia.

What Georgia homeowners are recovering from

Hurricane Helene crossed Georgia on September 26 and 27, 2024. The National Weather Service office in Peachtree City reported wind gusts between 50 and 80 mph in parts of east and central Georgia and rainfall totals of 6 to 14 inches across north and central Georgia. The storm downed millions of trees, and many structures were damaged or destroyed, mostly by falling trees. A federal major disaster was declared for Georgia on September 30, 2024, and the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency announced Individual Assistance for 41 counties in the first declaration.

Helene was not a one-off. The Georgia Commissioner of Insurance explains that tornado season in Georgia generally runs from March 1 to the end of May and hurricane season from June 1 into November, and that flooding, tornadoes, and winter storms cause millions of dollars of property damage in the state each year.

How the Georgia Commissioner of Insurance explains additional living expenses

The Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire lists additional costs to live somewhere else, if your home is uninhabitable, as part of standard homeowners coverage. Its consumer guide, Insurance Before and After a Disaster, explains how that coverage works:

• It pays the difference. Some of your living expenses go up while you are out of the house and others go down. The adjuster gives you a worksheet that adds the increases and subtracts the decreases to reach the settlement.
• It does not pay the mortgage. Your normal mortgage payment is not payable under the policy. The additional cost of renting a house or staying in a motel is.
• Receipts matter. The guide says to save documents and receipts for increased living expenses.
• Flood is separate. The guide says loss caused by flood is not covered under a homeowners policy.

This is general information, not legal or coverage advice. Your policy and your adjuster decide what is covered.

How a trailer on your lot works with your ALE

1st Choice Living bills your carrier directly under ALE, so on a covered claim you pay $0 out of pocket and there is no worksheet of hotel receipts for you to build. We track your placement against your ALE limit, so you and your adjuster can see where things stand while the rebuild moves forward. You have one named contact from the first call to pickup.

Our furnished travel trailers sleep 2 to 10. We deliver, level, and set up the unit on your property. Utilities are connected by licensed, insured contractors. We document site conditions at setup and takedown, so everyone has a clear record.

Local rules in Georgia are set by your city or county

We did not find a statewide Georgia rule on living in a travel trailer on your own lot while you rebuild. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs explains that siting of RVs is regulated and controlled by local planning and zoning ordinances, so the answer depends on your city or county and can differ from one town to the next.

We check your local rules before delivery. If you want a head start, call your city or county planning and zoning office and ask about temporary occupancy of a travel trailer during repairs.

Georgia recovery resources to know

After a presidential disaster declaration, the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS) explains that FEMA Individual Assistance can include housing assistance for repairs to damaged homes. You apply with FEMA at DisasterAssistance.gov or 1-800-621-3362.

For insurance questions, the Commissioner’s Consumer Services Division is at (404) 656-2070 or toll-free at (800) 656-2298.

For crews and agencies working in Georgia

The same furnished units house crews on job sites and support agencies coordinating displaced households. Adjusters get one named contact and a placement tracked against the policy limit.

Frequently asked questions