PCS Move
TLE Calculator 2026
FY2026Temporary Lodging Expense — reimbursement while you're between homes during a CONUS PCS.
Ready to calculate
Up to 21 days of temporary lodging reimbursement.
Split between your old and new duty station at your discretion. Fill in the details below.
Family & stay
TLE scales with family size. A spouse who is also a service member is not a dependent — use the mil-to-mil toggle below instead.
+35% each
+25% each
Split between old and new duty station at your discretion.
Include taxes. Use the Friends/family toggle below to zero out lodging while keeping M&IE.
Scenario
Pick the JTR scenario that matches your move. Most CONUS arrivals stay on the default.
JTR par. 050601-B-4-c-(3): lodging $0, M&IE still payable.
JTR Table 5-16 row 1: lodging capped at quarters cost.
JTR par. 050601-B-4-c-(1): each spouse claims independently from a 65% base + their assigned dependents.
Per diem locality
Search your duty station to auto-fill lodging + M&IE rates, or enter manually below.
Select a locality to see seasonal variations.
Standard CONUS: $110
Standard CONUS: $68
Where do rates come from?
- Set by GSA/DTMO once per fiscal year (Oct 1 – Sep 30).
- M&IE is fixed for the fiscal year.
- Lodging can vary by season at beach/tourist localities.
- Rates shown are FY2026 (Oct 2025 – Sep 2026).
Enter your family details and lodging costs, then calculate.
About TLE
What is TLE?
Partially reimburses lodging and meal expenses while you occupy temporary lodging during a PCS. Covers the gap between leaving your old home and moving into your new one.
Duration (CONUS vs OCONUS)
CONUS: up to 21 days (increased from 14 days effective Nov 27, 2024). OCONUS: TLE is capped at 7 days total and only covers CONUS endpoints — at an OCONUS station you use TLA (Temporary Lodging Allowance) instead. Split between old and new CONUS duty station at your discretion.
21 days TLE — how the 21-day rule works
The CONUS limit is 21 days of TLE per PCS (JTR par. 0506). DoD added 7 days to the previous 14-day limit effective 27 November 2024. You can use the days at the losing station, the gaining station, or both, but the total may not exceed 21, and no TLE is paid for a day you also receive PCS travel per diem. A move that touches an OCONUS station is limited to 7 days of TLE for the CONUS side only.
After TLE ends
Once you move in, your housing allowance takes over: BAH stateside (compare bases with the BAH comparison tool) or OHA overseas (the OHA calculator shows your rent ceiling by locality). High-cost CONUS areas also pay CONUS COLA from the day you report.
Percentage by family size (JTR par. 0506)
Member or 1 dependent: 65% · Member + 1 dependent (or 2 dependents): 100% · Each additional dependent 12+: +35% · Each additional dependent under 12: +25%
Key rules
Daily cap: $290 regardless of calc · Check gov't quarters first (get a non-availability confirmation number) · Can't receive TLE + PCS per diem on the same day · Staying with friends/family: M&IE only · An advance of TLE may be paid before the move (JTR par. 050602)
Tax treatment
TLE is tax-exempt. Not subject to federal, state, or FICA. Won't appear on your W-2. Applies to all PCS travel allowances (DLA, MALT, per diem, TLE).
Locality rates
Most locations use Standard CONUS ($110 / $68), but many military areas are higher. DC Metro is $276/$92, San Diego $237/$86. Use the search above or the GSA per diem lookup.
About this entitlement
What you need to know — straight from the regulation
What TLE covers
Temporary Lodging Expense (TLE) is a CONUS PCS allowance that partially reimburses the service member and authorized dependents for lodging and meal costs incurred when suitable permanent housing is not available at the losing or gaining duty station. It is separate from MALT mileage, per diem for travel days, and DLA.
TLE is administered under JTR Chapter 5, par. 0506; reimbursement uses the locality per diem rates published by GSA/DTMO for FY2026.
JTR Chapter 5, par. 0506
Duration and daily cap
CONUS TLE is authorized for up to 21 days per PCS, with a daily combined cap of $290 applied by this calculator per the current DoD authority (additional 7 days granted to the prior 14-day CONUS TLE effective 27 November 2024 — see DTMO announcement below).
Days may be split between the losing station (before departure) and the gaining station (after arrival). Members cannot claim TLE for days that overlap authorized travel days, which are compensated through MALT and per diem.
JTR Chapter 5, par. 0506 · DTMO "DoD authorizes additional 7 days to CONUS Temporary Lodging Expense" (27 NOV 2024)
How the daily amount is calculated
Daily TLE combines lodging reimbursement (actual cost up to locality × family percentage) and M&IE (locality × family percentage). The family-size percentage (JTR par. 050601, Table 5-17) is: member alone 65%; member + one dependent 100%; each additional dependent age 12 or older +35%; each additional dependent under 12 +25%.
The combined daily total (lodging + M&IE) is capped at $290. Members must retain itemized lodging receipts; meals are paid via the per-diem percentage and do not require receipts.
JTR par. 050601 · GSA/DTMO FY2026 Standard CONUS Per Diem
Tax treatment
TLE is a non-taxable allowance. It is not reported as wages on the W-2 and no federal, FICA, or state income tax is withheld from the TLE payment.
DoD Financial Management Regulation Vol. 7A · IRS Publication 3
Source & references
- Primary source
- GSA/DTMO FY2026 Standard CONUS Per Diem Rates; PDTATAC MAP 66-24(R) — view official publication
- Regulatory reference
- JTR Chapter 5, par. 0506
- Effective date
- October 1, 2025 (FY2026 cycle) · 21-day authority effective 27 NOV 2024
- DTMO Temporary Lodging Expense page
- https://www.travel.dod.mil/Allowances/Temporary-Lodging-Expense/
Military Toolkit is not affiliated with the Department of Defense, DFAS, DTMO, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or any government agency. Rates and rules on this page are pulled directly from the publications cited above. Always verify with your finance office, TMO, or the official rate page before making financial or planning decisions.
Stack the rest of the move
TLE is one piece of the PCS money stack. If you are weighing a do-it-yourself move, run the PPM / DITY move profit calculator before TMO books a carrier, and look up your 2026 DLA rate — Dislocation Allowance pays on top of TLE, not instead of it. Moving overseas and not sure which lodging allowance you get? Read TLE vs TLA: which one applies to your move.
FAQ
TLE — frequently asked questions
- What is TLE in 2026?
- Temporary Lodging Expense (TLE) is a CONUS-only allowance that reimburses lodging and meal costs when a service member or family must stay in temporary lodging during a PCS — either departing the losing duty station or arriving at the gaining duty station. Authority: JTR par. 050105 (introduction) and Section 0506 (TLE rules and limits). One family-size percentage (JTR Table 5-17) is applied to both the lodging ceiling and the M&IE rate, with lodging reimbursed at actual cost up to that ceiling and the daily total capped at $290.
- How many days of TLE am I authorized?
- Up to 21 days of TLE for a CONUS PCS move (increased from 14 days effective 27 Nov 2024), in any combination of departure and arrival days. The 21-day cap applies to the move as a whole, not per duty station. The CONUS side of a CONUS→OCONUS PCS is capped at 7 days. Members at locations with an approved TLE extension (housing shortage, Presidentially declared disaster area, or surge in assigned members) may receive up to 60 days under JTR par. 050604.
- How is the daily TLE rate calculated?
- One family-size percentage is applied to BOTH the lodging ceiling and the M&IE rate — not to M&IE alone. Per JTR Table 5-17, you "multiply the percentage in Table 5-17 by the applicable locality per diem rate" to get the daily lodging ceiling and the M&IE rate: 1 person (member or one dependent) = 65%, member + 1 dependent (or two dependents) = 100%, +35% for each additional dependent age 12 or older, +25% for each additional dependent under 12 — so a member with one dependent over 12 and one under 12 is 125%. Lodging is still reimbursed at actual cost up to that ceiling, and the total is capped at $290 per day. Source: JTR par. 0506, Table 5-17 + DTMO per-diem tables.
- Does TLE cover dependents?
- Yes. Dependents traveling with the member or staying in temporary lodging at either end of the PCS are included in the daily M&IE percentage calculation. Standalone dependent lodging at the old or new duty station is allowable provided it falls within the 21-day window.
- How do I claim TLE?
- Submit a DTS travel voucher (or paper DD Form 1351-2 if your service uses paper) after each leg with itemized lodging receipts — lodging receipts are always required (JTR par. 050604-A-1-d for extensions). Meals are paid as a percentage of the locality M&IE rate, so no meal receipts are needed.
Keep going
Next steps
REF: JTR par. 050601, effective 01 OCT 2025 · 21-day extension 27 NOV 2024
GSA/DTMO FY2026 per diem rates · PDTATAC MAP 66-24(R)
Results are estimates. Always verify with your finance office.
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