Temporary Lodging Allowance (TLA): How It Works

Between landing at Frankfurt and getting keys to your long-term home, the military doesn't expect you to sleep in the motor pool. That's what TLA — Temporary Lodging Allowance — is for (Army/overseas; the Air Force equivalent works similarly).

What TLA is

TLA reimburses temporary lodging and meal costs at your overseas duty station, typically:

• on arrival, while you search for and move into permanent housing, and
• on departure, after you've cleared your quarters before flying out.

It's paid in increments (commonly 10–15 days at a time) and you generally must show you're actively searching for housing to keep extending. Rates depend on locality, family size and whether your lodging has cooking facilities — lodging with a kitchen usually means a better reimbursement deal for you, because the meal portion is calculated more favorably than for a bare hotel room.

What that means practically in Wiesbaden

• The on-base Army lodging fills up fast in PCS season; off-base TLA-eligible apartments are the standard fallback.
• A furnished short-term apartment with a full kitchen is usually more comfortable and reimburses well: separate bedrooms for the kids, laundry, real cooking instead of three weeks of restaurant receipts.
• Keep itemized receipts for everything — finance will want them.

The smart move: TLA stay → long-term lease

Here's the pattern that removes almost all PCS housing stress:

1. Book a furnished TLA apartment for your arrival window (1–4 weeks).
2. Use that time for live viewings of long-term apartments — you're already in town.
3. If the TLA apartment fits your OHA and your family, convert it into your long-term lease and skip the second move entirely.

We offer exactly this path: short-term TLA-rate stays in apartments that are also available on a long-term, all-inclusive lease with a military clause. One move, done.

TLA rules and rates change; confirm current policy with your finance office or the Wiesbaden Housing Office.