Does homeowners insurance cover temporary housing?

What does loss of use coverage include?

To understand how loss of use coverage benefits you, consider your policy’s covered events and losses.

Covered events

Covered events must be accidental or unexpected events that could deem your home uninhabitable. Examples may include:

• Explosion
• Fire
• Lightning
• Tornado
• Vandalism
• A vehicle colliding with your home
• Windstorm

Also, civil authorities will sometimes prohibit people from staying in their homes if hazards like wildfires or landslides are expected. That means you may be able to file a temporary housing claim even when your home isn’t yet damaged. These cases may yield up to two weeks of coverage.

Covered expenses

Temporary housing coverage may help with the following costs, potentially among others:

• Increased food expenses, such as eating at restaurants due to lack of access to a kitchen
• Laundry
• Moving fees
• Parking fees
• Rates for staying at a hotel or apartment
• Storage costs for household items
• Transportation costs for increased mileage to home
• Utilities

What is not covered by temporary living expense coverage?

Loss of use coverage helps pay for additional living expenses when your home is temporarily uninhabitable. It doesn’t typically cover the following:

• Fees associated with canceling your lease or mortgage
• Preexisting expenses, such as your wireless bill
• Rent or mortgage for your permanent residence