Temporary Housing on Your Own Property in South Carolina

When a hurricane, a tornado, or a flood leaves your South Carolina 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 South Carolina.

What South Carolina homeowners are recovering from

The South Carolina Emergency Management Division calls Hurricane Helene the state’s most destructive storm since Hurricane Hugo in 1989, even though it did not make direct landfall. Helene’s outer bands brought deadly winds, flooding, and 21 tornadoes in late September 2024, and more than 2,000 homes were destroyed or reported major damage. A federal major disaster was declared on September 29, 2024, and Individual Assistance was approved for 28 counties and the Catawba Indian Nation, from the Upstate to the Midlands and the Lowcountry.

SCEMD explains that South Carolina is one of the most vulnerable states in the nation to hurricanes and tropical storms, that every county may be directly affected, and that the threats include storm surge, high winds, tornadoes, and inland flooding.

How the South Carolina Department of Insurance explains additional living expenses

The South Carolina Department of Insurance (SCDOI) explains that additional living expense coverage pays the necessary living expenses, up to the stated limit, to keep your normal standard of living as nearly as possible when the house cannot be occupied because of a covered loss. Key points from SCDOI’s consumer pages:

• It pays the extra. SCDOI says the coverage takes care of hotel bills, restaurant meals, and other costs over and above your usual living expenses.
• There are limits. SCDOI notes that ALE has limits, and some have time limits, so talk with your agent about any restrictions.
• The check is yours. In its guide to the claim payout process, SCDOI explains that your ALE check should be made out to you, not your lender.

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 you are not fronting hotel bills while you wait on an ALE check. 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 South Carolina are set by your city or county

We did not find a statewide South Carolina rule on living in a travel trailer on your own lot while you rebuild. It is handled by your city or county. The state’s own Hurricane Helene housing strategy lists zoning and permitting for placement on private property as a challenge and asks counties to identify the local zoning ordinances and permit requirements that affect housing units on survivors’ land. The state’s 2023 post-disaster housing strategy names building codes, zoning ordinances, and homeowners association rules as the kinds of local requirements that can stand in the way of temporary housing.

We check your local rules before delivery. If you want a head start, call your city or county permitting office and ask about temporary occupancy of a travel trailer during repairs. If you live in a neighborhood with a homeowners association, check its rules too.

South Carolina recovery resources to know

The South Carolina Emergency Management Division’s Individual Assistance page explains that after a federal declaration, housing assistance can include temporary housing, housing repair, and housing replacement. You apply with FEMA at DisasterAssistance.gov or 1-800-621-3362.

For insurance questions, SCDOI Consumer Services is at 803-737-6180.

For crews and agencies working in South Carolina

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