What is Temporary Housing?
Starting a new job or assignment in a new location does not always line up perfectly with finding a permanent place to live. An employee may arrive before their new home is available or be waiting for household goods to arrive. Temporary housing helps bridge that gap.
For mobility managers, temporary housing provides employees and their families with stability during a period of transition while giving them time to make informed decisions about permanent housing.
Temporary housing is a short-term living arrangement provided to a relocating employee while they transition from their previous residence to permanent housing in the new location.
It is typically furnished and includes utilities and other essentials, providing a move-in-ready solution. Depending on the destination and the employee’s needs, accommodations may include a furnished apartment, serviced apartment, or other extended home stay option.
The goal is simple: give employees a comfortable place to live while the other pieces of their relocation come together.
Why Organizations Provide Temporary Housing
Relocation timelines rarely fall neatly into place. An employee may need to begin work before a home purchase closes or a lease begins. A family may want time to explore neighborhoods before deciding where to live. An international employee may also be waiting for household goods to arrive.
Temporary housing gives employees time to navigate these situations without feeling pressured to make an immediate permanent housing decision. It also allows them to focus on their new role while the remaining pieces of the relocation fall into place.
When Is Temporary Housing Typically Used?
Temporary housing can support a variety of relocation situations, including:
- Domestic transfers when permanent housing is not yet available
- New hires who must begin work before securing a home
- International assignees searching for long-term accommodations
- Employees waiting for household goods to arrive
- Families experiencing a gap between departure and destination housing
How much time should an organization provide?
There is no universal answer, but the 2026 WHR Global Mobility & Culture Benchmark provides a useful reference point. Respondents offer an average of 39 days of temporary housing, with a median of 30 days. Reported benefits ranged from as few as 5 days to as many as 90.
Before Arranging Temporary Housing, consider:
- When does the employee need to report to the new location?
- When will permanent housing realistically be available?
- Is the employee relocating alone or with family?
- What commute and transportation needs should be considered?
- Will household goods still be in transit?
Looking at the entire relocation timeline can help determine both the right accommodation and the appropriate length of stay. For mobility managers, that range is important. The right amount of time depends on the employee’s circumstances, destination housing market, relocation policy, and the other elements of the move.
Setting Clear Temporary Housing Guidelines
Family size matters.
2026 WHR Global Mobility & Culture Benchmark found that 88% of respondents take family size into account when determining temporary housing size and budget.
For example: A single employee, a family of four or even a family that includes furry friends are unlikely to have the same temporary living needs.
Factoring household size into the benefit can help organizations provide appropriate accommodations while establishing clearer policy parameters.
While individual circumstances vary, a temporary housing policy should clearly establish who is eligible, how long accommodations are provided, and what types of housing and costs are covered. It should also explain when an extension may be considered and who has authority to approve it.
Interestingly, a fixed housing budget is far from universal. According to WHR’s 2026 Benchmark, 71% of respondents do not give employees a set budget for temporary housing, compared with 29% that do. Among organizations establishing budgets, approaches vary, including cost estimates, city-specific budgets, and options provided by the temporary housing company.
That reinforces an important lesson for new mobility managers: temporary housing often requires enough structure to control costs without ignoring differences among locations and employee circumstances.
Potential Temporary Housing Challenges
Availability and cost can vary significantly by destination, season, length of stay, and employee requirements. An accommodation suitable for an individual employee may not work for a family, while commute, transportation, and space requirements can affect both availability and cost.
Relocation plans can also change. A lease may be delayed, a home closing may move, or an international household goods shipment may take longer than expected.
Clear communication and early planning help mobility managers respond to these changes while minimizing disruption for the employee.
How WHR Global Supports Your Program
The Relocation Management Company (RMC), like WHR Global, typically coordinates temporary housing within the organization’s policy guidelines and the employee’s needs.
This may include identifying appropriate accommodations, coordinating bookings, monitoring the authorized stay, and helping resolve issues that arise. The RMC can also provide mobility teams with visibility into temporary housing costs and extensions.
That oversight is particularly valuable when circumstances change, since additional days of housing can quickly increase the cost of a relocation.
For mobility managers who are new to relocation, temporary housing may initially seem like a straightforward benefit. In practice, it connects several important parts of a move, including the employee’s start date, home search, household goods shipment, family needs, and overall relocation timeline.
The 2026 Benchmark reinforces why there isn’t a single formula for temporary housing. Duration, budget, destination, and family needs can all shape how the benefit is structured. The key is remembering that temporary housing is more than a place to stay. It provides employees and their families with stability and valuable time to get established before transitioning into permanent housing.