Temporary Housing on Your Own Property in Tennessee

When a tornado, a flood, or a winter storm leaves your Tennessee 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 Tennessee.

What Tennessee homeowners are recovering from

In late September 2024, the remnants of Hurricane Helene brought what the National Weather Service office in Morristown calls historic flooding and devastation to parts of the far eastern Tennessee mountains, with winds of 40 to 60 mph that caused extensive, long-lasting power outages. A federal major disaster was declared for Tennessee on October 2, 2024. By January 2025, FEMA reported that travel trailers and manufactured housing units had arrived in Tennessee and that survivors had started moving into them on private sites.

The rest of the state has its own risks. The Tennessee Emergency Management Authority notes that Tennessee faces tornadoes, flash flooding, damaging winds, lightning, and extreme temperatures every year.

How the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance explains additional living expenses

The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) 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 TDCI:

• Ask your company. TDCI’s disaster page says that if your home is damaged so badly you cannot live there, ask your insurance company whether you have coverage for additional living expenses.
• There is a limit. The coverage runs up to the limit stated in your policy, so ask your adjuster for the number.
• Save your receipts. TDCI says to save all receipts, including those for temporary repairs covered by your policy.
• Flood is separate. TDCI explains that flood damage is not included in a homeowners policy and that flood insurance is available through the National Flood Insurance Program.

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. 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 Tennessee are set by your city or county

We did not find a statewide Tennessee rule on living in a travel trailer on your own lot while you rebuild. It is handled by your city or county, and the answer can differ from one town to the next. Even after Helene, FEMA explained that it does not permit units for occupancy itself; it worked with applicants and local governments to complete that process.

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.

Tennessee recovery resources to know

The Tennessee Emergency Management Authority (TEMA) explains that if your home is unsafe or you cannot return because of damage, emergency shelter or temporary housing support may be available through local partners, and that 2-1-1 connects you to local disaster and community resources in most of the state. After a federal declaration, you apply with FEMA at DisasterAssistance.gov or 1-800-621-3362.

For insurance questions, TDCI’s Consumer Insurance Services team is at (615) 741-2218 or 1-800-342-4029.

For crews and agencies working in Tennessee

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