Every homeowners insurance policy includes additional living expenses coverage. If you’re temporarily displaced from your home because of damage, this coverage can help you pay for the additional everyday expenses until you’re able to move back in. But what exactly does additional living expense (ALE) coverage include?
Here is a basic guide to help you learn more about ALE insurance:
Additional living expenses covered by your home insurance generally include:
Unfortunately, your ALE insurance won’t cover everything. It’s important to remember that this portion of your insurance policy will not pay for damage to your home or belongings. However, these costs are covered by the dwelling portion of your homeowners insurance policy.
Your insurance company may offer options for different amounts of coverage for additional living expenses. By default, this benefit is about 10% to 20% of the amount covered by your dwelling coverage.
For example, if your home is damaged and your dwelling coverage is $400,000, your ALE policy would provide around $40,000 to $80,000 of coverage for your additional living expenses.
For any questions about coverage amounts and details of your additional living expense coverage, check with your insurance company for more information. The more you know about your coverage, the better prepared you’ll be if you ever need to make a claim.
Stephanie Englund Siegel is a successful Realtor with Compass. She was born and raised in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. Living in the city for over almost 20 years has given Stephanie the in depth knowledge of many neighborhoods. Stephanie feels that Chicago's culturally diverse residents are what contribute to the richness and quality of life in its neighborhoods. Before joining the Compass Family, she worked as a paralegal for a real estate attorney which gave her the knowledge about every step in a transaction. From the very beginning of the process all the way to the end, Stephanie is dedicated to her clients and the success of the transaction so both parties get a win-win. Stephanie serves real estate needs in the following neighborhoods: Lincoln Park, Gold Coast, Streeterville, Loop, West Loop, South Loop, Lakeview, River north, Lincoln Square, Wrigleyville, Ravenswood, Greater Chicago area and surrounding suburbs.
