What should I record while displaced?
Record each displacement-related purchase or bill, including the date, purpose, amount paid and receipt location. Also note what you ordinarily would have spent for the same need, if known, and keep the insurer’s written guidance with the corresponding entry.
Additional living expenses, often called ALE, concern increased living costs rather than every household expense. Whether an expense is reimbursed depends on the covered loss and the policy’s terms, which may include dollar and time limits. Keep the record, but ask the insurer what applies before relying on reimbursement.
Start your displacement expense log
A blank spreadsheet for expenses, receipt references, insurer questions and payments received. It contains no formulas or assumed reimbursement amounts. Keep your completed copy private.
Download the blank expense log (CSV)How to fill in the displacement expense log
Use one row for each expense. The worksheet is an optional organizing tool, not an insurer-required form or a calculation of what you will receive. Save your completed copy privately; the download does not send information to Solarity or your insurer.
Use the same period when comparing temporary and ordinary spending. If the comparison is unclear, leave the amount blank and record a question for the insurer. An unknown amount is different from no ordinary cost.
| Worksheet field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Date | The date of the purchase or bill. |
| Expense category | A short category that helps you find similar entries, such as temporary housing or meals. Listing an expense does not establish coverage. |
| Merchant or payee | Who you paid, using the name shown on the receipt. |
| What the expense was for | Explain the purchase and its connection to the temporary living arrangement. |
| Amount paid (USD) | The amount actually paid. Keep unpaid estimates or proposed arrangements in your questions until you have a payment to record. |
| Usual spending for the same period (USD) | Your ordinary cost for the same need and period, if known. Ask the insurer what comparison and supporting records it needs. |
| Additional amount to discuss (USD) | Use this as a discussion field, not a promised payment. Leave it blank if you cannot yet explain the comparison. |
| Receipt filename or reference | A reference that leads to the matching receipt or bill. Keep the receipt and entry together when sharing records. |
| Date submitted to insurer | When you sent the entry and supporting records. Leave blank while it is still being prepared. |
| Insurer question or response | The question, who answered, when they answered, and where any written response is saved. |
| Reimbursement received (USD) | Record payment actually received separately from the amount you requested or discussed. |
| Follow-up date | Your reminder to check an unanswered question or submission. This is not a policy deadline. |
A simple routine for receipts and follow-up
Keep the log small enough to update when a receipt arrives. A clear record is more useful than a large folder with no explanation.
- Save a legible copy of the receipt and give it a reference you can recognize.
- Add the expense to the log and put that receipt reference in the matching row.
- Write down the unresolved question beside the expense instead of assuming the answer.
- When you submit records, note the date and keep a copy of what you sent.
- Record the response or payment separately so you can see what still needs attention.
What should I ask before committing to longer temporary housing?
Treat these as coverage and documentation questions, not as promises that a proposed arrangement or expense will be reimbursed.
- Does my policy provide additional-living-expense coverage for this loss?
- What dollar and time limits apply to that coverage?
- What information do you need about the proposed temporary housing before I commit to it?
- What receipts or other records should I provide, and how should I submit them?
- How should I document my ordinary living costs for comparison with temporary costs?
- Who should receive the expense log, and how can I confirm that a submission was received?
- Can you provide written confirmation of any guidance given by phone?
Keep living expenses separate from damaged-property records
Use the expense log for costs incurred while displaced, and keep it within your wider fire claim documentation process. Save dated conversation notes and written insurer responses with the records they address.
Maintain a separate inventory for damaged belongings. Photos, item-level notes, estimates and insurer responses belong with that inventory rather than in the living-expense log; see the guide to documenting smoke-damaged belongings.