PCS MONEY · LODGING ALLOWANCES
TLE vs TLA: which one pays for your PCS hotel
Two allowances cover temporary lodging during a PCS, and they never overlap: TLE inside the continental U.S., TLA overseas. Here is what each pays, for how long, and how to claim it.
$290a day TLE ceiling, for up to 21 days on a CONUS move
The short answer: TLE (Temporary Lodging Expense) reimburses lodging and meals around a CONUS move: up to $290 a day for up to 21 days. TLA (Temporary Lodging Allowance) does the same job at an overseas station: typically up to 60 days on arrival and 10 days before departure, computed from the local per diem rate. You cannot draw both for the same day.
TLE: the CONUS allowance
- What it covers: temporary lodging plus meals for you and your dependents near your old or new duty station in connection with a CONUS PCS.
- The cap: up to $290 per day, computed from the locality per diem and your family size. Cheaper lodging means the meal portion still counts, but $290 is the ceiling.
- The clock: up to 21 days total for a move between CONUS duty stations, split any way between the old and new location. The limit rose from 14 to 21 days effective November 27, 2024.
- Moves to OCONUS: TLE covers a shorter window on the CONUS side (the JTR sets fewer days when your next station is overseas; TLA takes over when you arrive).
- Dual military: married service members PCSing together may each claim TLE for separate, non-overlapping periods.
- Extensions: possible in specific hardship situations, such as government or housing delays, through an approval process; ask your transportation or finance office before assuming extra days.
Source: Defense Travel Management Office, Joint Travel Regulations, TLE. travel.dod.mil. As of July 2026.
TLA: the overseas allowance
- What it covers: temporary lodging plus meals while you house-hunt at (or clear out of) an OCONUS duty station.
- Arrival: typically up to 60 days, extendable when housing genuinely isn't available: extensions run through the housing office.
- Departure: typically up to 10 days before you leave the OCONUS station.
- How it pays: computed from the overseas locality per diem and who's with you, and normally claimed in increments through your housing and finance offices, with receipts.
Source: Defense Travel Management Office, Joint Travel Regulations, TLA. travel.dod.mil. As of July 2026.
Side by side
| TLE | TLA | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | CONUS (the continental U.S.) | OCONUS (overseas, incl. Alaska & Hawaii) |
| Daily amount | Up to $290/day | Locality per diem formula (varies by station) |
| How long | Up to 21 days (CONUS-to-CONUS) | Up to 60 days arriving · 10 days departing (typical) |
| Claimed through | Travel voucher with lodging receipts | Housing/finance office, usually in increments |
Three mistakes that cost people money
- Booking blind. TLE reimburses against per diem, not whatever the hotel charges. Check the locality rate before booking so a $350 resort night doesn't become a $60 donation.
- Forgetting receipts. Both allowances are receipt-driven. Screenshot every folio the day you check out.
- Letting the clock run. The days are a maximum, not an entitlement to burn: but if house-hunting genuinely stalls overseas, ask about a TLA extension before the 60 days lapse rather than after.
Planning the whole move? The PCS Money Guide covers DLA, per diem, PPM moves, and the rest of the PCS money picture, and the Budget Builder can absorb the move month without wrecking your plan.
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