Temporary accommodation after an insurance claim
A fully furnished, move-in-ready residence to live in while your own home is uninhabitable or unliveable — while damage from fire, flood, storm or water is repaired or rebuilt. Insurance temporary accommodation in Sydney and Melbourne, and emergency accommodation when a home is suddenly unliveable after an insured event. A genuine furnished residence suited to your policy's additional living expenses cover, working alongside your insurer, broker or loss assessor. Pet-friendly, with clear invoices suited to an insurance claim. Westprecinct is an accommodation provider, not an insurer or adviser.
Frequently asked questions
Where can we live while insurance pays for temporary accommodation in NSW?
Many home insurance policies in NSW cover the reasonable cost of temporary accommodation while your home is unliveable, and the aim is somewhere suited to your household, close enough to keep school, work and routines in place. Your insurer or claims manager usually approves the arrangement, so it is worth asking them to consider a furnished, managed serviced residence rather than a hotel. Westprecinct has residences across Sydney, including Balmain, Rozelle, Drummoyne, Breakfast Point and Barangaroo, with stays from three months. We can invoice the insurer, the claims manager or the policyholder directly, whichever is preferred.
What if we need a shorter stay?
Melbourne stays are from 30 days, and Sydney stays are from three months. Repair and rebuild timelines after fire, flood or storm rarely hold exactly, so if you need something a little shorter in Sydney, tell us your situation, your suburb and your likely dates, and we will consider it on request, subject to availability, arranged alongside your insurer where relevant.
What is temporary accommodation while your home is repaired or rebuilt?
It is a fully furnished, move-in-ready residence to live in while your own home is uninhabitable — while damage from an insured event such as water, fire or storm is repaired or rebuilt. Westprecinct provides this across Sydney and Melbourne as a genuine furnished home, not a hotel room.
How long do people usually need it?
It depends on the works. As a general guide, water-damage repairs commonly run three to six months, while fire and flood rebuilds often take six to eighteen months. Stays begin at three months in Sydney and 30 days in Melbourne, with the flexibility to extend as timelines move, which they often do.
How long will an insurer usually cover temporary accommodation?
This is set entirely by your own policy, but as general information many home policies fund temporary accommodation for up to around twelve months (some to eighteen), commonly capped at about ten per cent of the home's sum insured. Check your policy and confirm with your insurer or assessor — we can then match a residence and stay length to what applies.
Does Westprecinct work with insurers or a claim?
Guests can come to us while their home is being repaired under an insurance claim. We provide a genuine furnished residence and clear invoices suited to a claim or corporate expense. We are an accommodation provider, not your insurer or adviser — your entitlement and any cap are set by your own policy and assessor.
Is it suitable for a whole family, with pets and belongings?
Yes. A Westprecinct residence offers the space, privacy and continuity a household needs — room for the family, a proper kitchen and study, and neighbourhoods with schools and daily life close by. Tell us your household and any specific needs when you enquire.
How is this different from a serviced apartment or hotel?
It is a serviced apartment for extended stays — a real furnished home appointed to The Westprecinct Standard, rather than a compact short-stay serviced apartment or a sealed hotel room. For a stay measured in months while your home is out of action, that difference — space, privacy and a settled routine — is the whole point.
Does home insurance cover temporary accommodation?
Most home building policies in Australia include temporary accommodation cover when your home becomes unliveable due to an insured event, once the claim is accepted. The amount, the time limit and the trigger are all set by your own policy — commonly capped at around ten to twelve per cent of the sum insured, for up to about twelve months. This is general information, not advice: confirm your entitlement with your insurer. Westprecinct provides the residence and clear invoices to suit the claim.
My home is unliveable after fire, flood, storm or water damage — can you help quickly?
Yes. When a fire, flood, storm or burst-pipe leaves a home uninhabitable, a hotel room covers the first night, but the repair or rebuild that follows is usually measured in months. We match you to a genuine furnished residence near your suburb so the household stays settled through the whole in-between, with the flexibility to extend as the works run on.
Can the whole household move in with our belongings and pets?
Yes. A Westprecinct residence is a full furnished home with the space for the family, a proper kitchen and study, and room for what you bring — and it is pet-friendly. Tell us your household, your pets and any specific needs when you enquire, and we match a residence and suburb to suit.
Is this the same as the additional living expenses (ALE) cover on my policy?
Additional living expenses — sometimes called temporary accommodation or loss-of-use cover — is the part of a home policy that funds somewhere to live while your home is unliveable after an insured event. A Westprecinct residence is exactly the kind of genuine furnished home that cover is meant for, and we issue clear invoices suited to the claim. What is covered, and any limit, is set entirely by your own policy and assessor; we are the accommodation provider, not your insurer or adviser.
Can you work with our loss assessor, loss adjuster or broker?
Yes. We regularly host guests whose stay is arranged alongside a loss assessor, loss adjuster, broker or insurer. We provide a genuine furnished residence, availability and stay length matched to the works, and itemised invoices suited to a claim — so the accommodation side is simple to substantiate. Your entitlement, approvals and any cap remain a matter for you and your insurer.
We have been displaced after a bushfire, flood or burst pipe — how fast can you help?
When a bushfire, flood, storm or burst pipe leaves a home unliveable, the first night is often a hotel while the property is made safe — but the repair or rebuild that follows runs for months. We move quickly to match a displaced household to a genuine furnished residence near your suburb, so everyone stays settled through the whole in-between, with the flexibility to extend as the works run on.
Do you offer temporary accommodation in both Sydney and Melbourne?
Yes. Westprecinct provides furnished temporary accommodation across Sydney and Melbourne, in each city's most sought-after suburbs — so you can stay close to schools, work and daily life while your home is repaired or rebuilt. Tell us the suburb you need to be near and we match a residence close by.
What is alternative accommodation on a home insurance policy?
Alternative accommodation is the part of a home policy that pays for somewhere to live while your home cannot be lived in after an insured event such as fire, flood or storm. Some policies call it temporary accommodation or loss-of-use cover. What is covered, for how long and up to what amount is set by your policy, so confirm the details with your insurer. A Westprecinct residence is the kind of genuine furnished home the cover is meant for.
Will my insurer pay for a Westprecinct residence?
That depends on your policy and on your insurer accepting the claim. Many policyholders find that a furnished residence for the months of a repair or rebuild fits their cover, especially where the household includes children or pets. We provide itemised invoices suited to the claim, and we are happy to speak with your claims manager or loss adjuster. We are an accommodation provider, not your insurer or adviser.
What if the repairs take longer than expected?
They often do. Your stay can extend as the timeline moves, and we will tell you early if a residence has a limit on how long it is available, so there are no surprises. If your cover has a time or dollar limit, check it with your insurer before extending.
I'm a claims manager or loss adjuster. How do I arrange a stay?
Send us the suburb the household needs to be near, how many people and pets, and the likely length of the works, through the enquiry form or by phone. We confirm what is available, match the residence to the household and handle the stay through one point of contact. We can invoice the insurer, the claims manager or the policyholder directly, whichever is preferred.