Tips for Securing Temporary Housing After a Natural Disaster

Owning a home is supposed to provide stability, but a major disaster such as an earthquake, fire, or flood can send many homeowners in search of temporary living quarters. As families who may not have been renters for many years suddenly find themselves in the market for an apartment, condo, or other rental property, here's what they need to keep in mind.

1. Get an Advance From Your Insurance Company

Your homeowners' insurance policy most likely includes coverage for "loss of use." That means living expenses, including housing costs, that exceed your normal, everyday expenses. You're within your rights to ask your insurer to send you an advance on those expenses.

If your house just needs relatively quick repairs in order to be livable again, the insurer will pay for a hotel stay. If your house needs major repair or rebuilding, you're going to need cash to cover not only your first month's rent but also a security deposit. In California, for example, for tenancies beginning on or after July 1, 2024, the security deposit is generally limited to one month's rent for either a furnished or unfurnished rental. (The landlord can still demand, in addition, advance payment for the first month, and certain small landlords may charge up to two months' rent as a security deposit.) (Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(c)(1) (2025).) If you rent an unfurnished home, you'll need money for furnishings, too.

Most policies place a dollar or time limit on loss-of-use coverage to pressure people into acting quickly to get their home repaired or replaced. Think twice before signing any long-term lease, unless it's clear that the recovery process will be a long one (as is common after large regional disasters).

2. Look for a Rental That Your Insurance Company Will Approve

Your insurance company will pay for a rental that closely approximates the home you can no longer occupy. So, if you lived in a simple one-bedroom in a modest neighborhood, look for similar homes in similar neighborhoods.

Call your insurance agent BEFORE you start hunting for accommodations, and work out an understanding of the reimbursement you can expect. (Confirm any conversations in writing; email is fine for this.) The reality might be that only higher-end rentals will be available, or that landlords take advantage of the disaster to raise their rates, as occurred after the catastrophic 2025 Southern California fires (but see below about anti-price-gouging laws). In such a case, you shouldn't have to pay out of pocket. Or, if you're dissatisfied with what's available in your price range, you might decide to kick in some money of your own to rent a suitable place.

3. Be Ready to Market Yourself to Landlords

If your local market was tight before the disaster, it might get even worse afterward, as you compete with others in equally desperate straits. Even those landlords who are sympathetic to your plight need to protect their business interests. They'll look for the prospect most likely to pay the rent and be conscientious and considerate.

Pull together and bring with you key documents establishing your qualifications on the spot, such as:

• Proof of support from your insurance company. Get a letter from your agent attesting to your situation as a displaced homeowner. Make sure it includes a statement that your coverage will include rent reimbursement.
• Credit report. To show that you aren't so strapped that you're likely to use insurance money for other expenditures, bring a copy of your credit report. You can get free copies weekly from all three of the major credit reporting agencies at www.annualcreditreport.com.
• Proof of employment. Landlords want to make sure you make enough money (typically three times the rent) to afford the place. Get a letter from your employer attesting to your employment and salary or hourly wage. Ask your employer to offer information on your good qualities as an employee (many of those, such as punctuality and ability to get along with coworkers, translate directly into "good tenant" qualities).
• Proof of income. If you're self-employed and won't be able to bring a letter from a job, show that you make sufficient income using a copy of your last tax returns or IRS tax transcript. Contact your accountant or tax preparer if you no longer have those (they should have a copy). If you had a home-based business, you might need to provide additional explanation of how you'll continue to work.

4. Beware of Landlord Price Gouging

Many states prevent businesses from unfairly profiting from calamities by punishing unreasonable post-disaster price increases.

For example, California makes it a misdemeanor (punishable by a fine of up to $10,000, a year in jail, or both) to charge a price that exceeds, by more than 10%, the price of an item before an official declaration of emergency. (California Penal Code § 396 (2025).) The law applies to landlords and anyone who sells or supplies food, emergency supplies, medical supplies, building materials, fuel, hotel accommodations and related essential services and supplies. A California landlord may not increase the price of a vacant unit more than 10% of the rent that existed before the emergency was declared. For example, the landlord can't bump up the rent on a $2,000 unit to more than $2,200. To check for any such price jumps, ask the landlord, check online, or ask neighbors.

It is also a misdemeanor in California for a landlord to evict a tenant (unless the eviction was already underway) and then rent or offer to rent the unit to another tenant for more than what the evicted tenant could legally have to pay.

For new rentals in California, properties not rented or advertised prior to a proclamation or declaration of emergency can't exceed 160% of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) fair market rental determination. This amount may be increased by 5% if the housing is offered for rent fully furnished. (California Penal Code § 396 (2025).)

These "anti-gouging" requirements aren't restricted to the area where the disaster occurred, nor do you need to be personally impacted. The California statute punishes price-gouging anywhere in the state where consumer demand has increased as a result of the declared emergency. If you encounter a rent-gouging landlord, consider filing a complaint with your local prosecutor's office or with the statewide attorney general. California tenants can fill out an online form at the Attorney General's website.

5. Know What You're Signing: A Lease or a Month-to-Month Rental Agreement

Once you've found a suitable rental, you'll want to sign a lease or rental agreement. Consider the basic attributes of each, and decide which will work best for your situation.

• Rental agreements. A rental agreement runs month to month, and self-renews until the landlord or tenant terminates it, with proper notice (30 days in most states). The landlord can also increase the rent with proper notice. The ability to leave on 30 days' notice makes the rental agreement flexible but also exposes you to a rent hike (or termination) by the landlord.
• Leases. A lease is for a set period of time, typically one year, during which time the rent can't be increased. You also can't be told to leave unless you've done something wrong, such as not paying the rent. This stability could end up costing you: should you decide to leave, you'll still be responsible for the balance of the rent. In most states, if you break your lease early the landlord must take reasonable steps to re-rent and offset your rent liability with the new rent.

Consider which arrangement is better for you (assuming the landlord gives you a choice). Rebuilding a damaged or burnt house can take years, especially when architects, contractors, and workers are in short supply. If the market is tight and might continue to be so, you might benefit from a lease, knowing that the rent will be locked in and that if you leave, the landlord won't have much trouble finding a replacement tenant. However, know that many rent-gouging statutes cover only tenancies that run month to month, not leases.

6. Understand How Local Fair Housing Laws Protect You From Discrimination

Fair housing laws protect all applicants from discrimination on the basis of, among other things, familial status (families with children), disability, and gender. You might need to call upon fair housing law if, for example, you encounter a landlord who has set an overly restrictive occupancy limit, perhaps trying to keep out families. In general, landlords must allow two persons per bedroom (in California, it's "two per bedroom plus one"). If your family of three is willing to live in a one-bedroom apartment, a landlord who declares it's too small is skating on thin ice.

7. Know Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Renter

The landlord's major responsibility is to provide and maintain a safe and habitable home. This means that if the roof leaks, the toilet doesn't work, or there's no hot water, you're entitled to repairs. You have the right to a rental that's reasonably secure from criminal intrusion, and the right to privacy (many states limit the reasons, and time, a landlord may enter your home, and set specific notice periods). Especially if you'll be a renter for a substantial period of time, you'd be well advised to learn the rules (see "Resources," below).

Also, remember that you'll be leaving this rental when your home is rebuilt or repaired, or you choose another. Make sure you're in line to get that security deposit back and leave with no lingering hassles with the landlord. You're expected to return the rental in the same condition as when you rented it, normal wear and tear excepted. If you damage the property, the landlord can deduct from the security deposit for repairs. Also, so as to protect the items that you're purchasing to get on with your life, talk to your insurance agent about adding a renters' policy to your existing homeowners' policy (it shouldn't cost much).

8. Check Whether FEMA Is Offering Disaster Assistance

In a major disaster, FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Association) might join the recovery effort. The agency is mainly there to help people who don't have homeowners' insurance at all, but it will also help people who aren't getting what they need from their insurance carrier. This can include assistance with locating and paying for temporary housing. See DisasterAssistance.gov and, in Spanish, DisasterAssistance.gov/es, or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 for assistance in many languages.

Resources for Renters

To fully understand your rights and your responsibilities, check out these resources from Nolo:

• California Tenants' Rights
• Every Tenant's Legal Guide
• Renters' Rights