Temporary Housing on Your Own Property in Virginia

When a hurricane, a severe storm, or a fire leaves your Virginia 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 Virginia.

What Virginia homeowners are recovering from

In late September 2024, Hurricane Helene brought catastrophic flooding to the Appalachian mountains. The National Weather Service office in Morristown, Tennessee, names southwest Virginia among the hardest hit areas, along with northeast Tennessee and western North Carolina.

FEMA declared a major disaster for Virginia on October 1, 2024, covering Tropical Storm Helene from September 25 to October 3. By October 5, residents of Galax and of Giles, Grayson, Montgomery, Pulaski, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, and Wythe Counties were eligible to apply for FEMA assistance with damage and losses from the storm.

Flood damage is where many of those claims get hard. The Virginia Bureau of Insurance reminds homeowners that standard homeowners policies do not cover flood damage, so which policy pays depends on what caused the damage.

How the Virginia Bureau of Insurance explains additional living expenses

The State Corporation Commission’s Bureau of Insurance explains in its Virginia Consumer’s Guide for Homeowners Insurance that if you must move into a motel or apartment temporarily because of damage caused by a peril your policy covers, your insurance company will pay reasonable and necessary additional living expenses. Key points from the Bureau:

• It pays the increase. The Bureau says your company will not pay all of your living expenses, only those above and beyond your normal and customary expenses. Its example: if you normally spend $1,500 a month and the disaster raises that to $2,000, the company reimburses you $500.
• Up to 20 percent is typical. The Bureau says the typical policy will pay up to 20 percent of the policy limit on your dwelling for these expenses.
• Ask about restrictions. The Bureau’s guide for after a loss says to ask your company representative about any restrictions on where and how long you can stay, and how much you are allowed for hotel rooms. It also says you can claim the cost of storing your belongings until the home is ready.
• Save all receipts. The Bureau says to save every receipt, including for anything bought with an advance check, because amounts already paid are deducted when the claim is settled.

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 Virginia are set by your city or county

We did not find a statewide Virginia rule on living in a travel trailer on your own lot while you rebuild. It is handled by your city, county, or town, 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 local zoning or building 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.

Virginia recovery resources to know

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) coordinates the Commonwealth’s approach to disasters, with responsibilities that run from preparing for threats to recovering from them, working with local, state, and federal partners. When a federal declaration includes Individual Assistance, you apply with FEMA at DisasterAssistance.gov or 1-800-621-3362.

For insurance questions, the Bureau of Insurance is toll-free at 1-877-310-6560, and its Property and Casualty Consumer Services team is at 804-371-9185.

For crews and agencies working in Virginia

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