FEMA Lodging Expense Reimbursement

If you were displaced from the severe storms and flooding on Aug. 21 and live in Dickson, Hickman, Houston, or Humphreys counties, you may be eligible for lodging expense reimbursement (LER) for short-term lodging spent in a motel or hotel.

• A Reimbursement Program: Residents must pay for their lodging out-of-pocket and submit verifiable lodging receipts to FEMA. The survivor’s pre-disaster primary residence must be unlivable, inaccessible or have been affected by an extended disaster-caused utility outage to be considered.
  • Information to include with receipts: The name of the applicant or co-applicant; name, address and phone number of lodging; dates of occupancy and the amount of expenses incurred.
  • To Submit Receipts: Applicants can upload their receipts online to their DisasterAssistance.gov account. All documents should include your registration number. Download instructions on how to upload your documents. This information is available in multiple languages. Survivors can also submit through standard mail at: Attn: FEMA, P.O. Box 10055, Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055. Or Fax 1-800-827-8112 (Cover sheet required).
• Room and Taxes are covered but not food or transportation: Eligible expenses may include the cost of the room and taxes charged by a hotel or other lodging provider. This does not include costs for food, phone calls, transportation, or other miscellaneous expenses.
• If you are already receiving lodging assistance from a voluntary organization, such as the American Red Cross, or you have an insurance policy that covers alternate living expenses (ALE), you may not be eligible for FEMA Lodging. By law FEMA cannot duplicate benefits.
• Lodging Expense Reimbursement will not be covered if you are staying with friends or family.
• Lodging Expense Reimbursement is different than Rental Assistance:  LER is reimbursement for out-of-pocket lodging expenses. Rental assistance is provided directly to the eligible homeowner or renter. The rental awards are based on Fair Market Rent rates that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development identifies for a particular housing area.
• Those who have questions about LER or other FEMA assistance should call the Helpline at 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585), Lines are open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, seven days a week. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. 

For more information on Tennessee’s disaster recovery, visit www.tn.gov/tema.html and www.fema.gov/disaster/4609. You may also follow FEMA on www.facebook.com/fema and Twitter @FEMARegion4.

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