Temporary Housing on Your Own Property in Kentucky

When a tornado, a severe storm, or a flood leaves your Kentucky 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 or livestock, 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 Kentucky.

What Kentucky homeowners are recovering from

On May 16, 2025, a long-track tornado touched down in Russell County, about 4 miles southeast of Russell Springs, and moved east through Pulaski County and the southern end of Somerset. The National Weather Service office in Jackson reports that it strengthened to EF-4, with estimated winds around 170 mph, then crossed I-75 through neighborhoods south of downtown London before lifting about 6 miles southeast of the city.

The Weather Service confirms 19 deaths from this tornado, the deadliest in the history of its Jackson office, including 17 in Laurel County. The worst residential damage was in the Sunshine Hill community just southwest of London, and the London mayor reported 817 homes affected in Laurel County alone, 280 of them completely destroyed. FEMA declared a major disaster for the May 16 and 17 storms on May 23, 2025.

Water is the other risk. The Kentucky Department of Insurance reminds homeowners that most policies won’t cover damage from floods or earthquakes unless that coverage was bought separately, so ask your agent which policy applies to which damage.

How the Kentucky Department of Insurance explains additional living expenses

The Kentucky Department of Insurance’s Post-Disaster Claim Guide explains that most homeowners policies will pay the additional expenses you have if you can’t stay in your home because of damage from a covered disaster. If you have to move into a hotel or apartment while your home is repaired or rebuilt, the guide says, the insurance company will pay your costs for temporary housing. Key points from the Department:

• It pays the increase. ALE helps pay expenses beyond your normal expenses because you can’t live in your home. The Department’s example: ALE will pay hotel lodging, but it won’t make your mortgage payment.
• It has limits. Some policies have a dollar limit, and some also have a time limit. The Department adds that these limits are separate from the coverage to rebuild or repair your home and to replace your belongings.
• Keep every receipt. The Department says to keep all receipts for any additional costs, because the insurance company will need them to reimburse you.
• Damage, not an outage. In its Before and After the Storm guide, the Department explains that most policies will not pay for a hotel room if you leave home because of a power outage that occurs off premises, and that lodging and living expenses should be reasonable.

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 are no lodging receipts for you to submit. 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, whether that is a city lot or acreage. Utilities are connected by licensed, insured contractors. We document site conditions at setup and takedown, so everyone has a clear record.

Local rules in Kentucky are set by your city or county

We did not find a statewide Kentucky rule on living in a travel trailer on your own lot while you rebuild. It is handled by your city or county, and rules in town can be very different from rules in the country.

We check your local rules before delivery. If you want a head start, call your city or county planning or permitting office and ask about temporary occupancy of a travel trailer during repairs: whether a temporary-use permit is needed, how long it lasts, and what water, sewer, and power connections the office requires.

Kentucky recovery resources to know

Kentucky Emergency Management (KYEM) helps individuals and families recover after a federally declared disaster through FEMA’s Individual Assistance program, which KYEM describes as support for when insurance and other resources fall short. You apply with FEMA at DisasterAssistance.gov or 1-800-621-3362 when a declaration includes it. KYEM also asks survivors to report unmet needs to their county emergency director or to its Disaster Needs Hotline at 502-607-6665.

For insurance questions, the Kentucky Department of Insurance is at 800-595-6053, or 502-564-3630.

For crews and agencies working in Kentucky

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