Below are just some of the frequently asked questions asked by first-time customers using ALE Solutions. Should you have any questions, not listed here, please don’t hesitate to call us or send us an e-mail. How do I justify using your service versus doing it myself? ALE Solutions, Inc. saves you time, money and enhances your service to the insured. When your policyholder is in need of appropriate temporary housing it becomes their foremost concern. They understandably expect your undivided attention until the issue is resolved. Acting on your behalf, we meet their expectations by quickly providing an appropriate temporary residence that meets their specific needs. Our prompt personalized service means your family can turn their attention to assisting you with other aspects of the claim process. We save you money by controlling all housing related expenses. We provide the most cost-effective property by first determining the type of property best fits the given situation. We then find all available conforming properties from which to develop the most cost-effective housing solution. By shopping among all available options, leveraging relationships with property owners and being adept a negotiating short-term residential leases we keep lease expenses low. We also provide significant savings in furniture, housewares and appliance rental costs by passing through the savings we enjoy from favorable pricing programs we have negotiated with most nationwide and regional rental companies. When do I call ALE Solutions? Determine the length of time necessary before the home can be reoccupied. Call us if the housing requirements are for a duration of one month or greater. Remember that our assistance is free-of-charge if we are not able to supply a suitable cost-effective property. What are your housing options? ALE Solutions is committed to providing the optimal property for the family’s unique situation. To accomplish this we are adept at providing all manner of housing on a short-term basis. These are single-family homes, town homes, apartments, mobile homes, furnished corporate suites and hotel rooms. All can be provided furnished to suit the needs of the family. ALE Solutions does not own any of the properties we provide. We are focused on the securing the most appropriate property for the family, not filling vacancies in company-owned properties. How do I submit a housing request? You can simply go to our website and fill-out our Request Form or call us directly at 866-885-9785. How soon can my insured be placed in housing? We make it our goal to contact the policyholder within minutes of your request. We typically locate properties within one day and make them available for viewing by the insured at their earliest convenience. Upon approval of a property by you and your insured we set a move in date. Furnished corporate suites are usually available for immediate occupancy. Properties that we furnish take several days to prepare. Trailers typically take 7-14 days to deliver, setup and furnish. While we are arranging for suitable long-term housing we can arrange for direct billing of hotel charges for room and taxes. How does your housing process work? Immediately after you contact us with your housing request, we contact your insured, locate appropriate housing, negotiate a lease, obtain your approval on the rate, coordinate the showing of the property, coordinate all paperwork including the move-in & set-up of furniture and housewares, handle any problems/issues that may arise and monitor the policyholder's stay throughout their temporary stay. How are security deposits handled? We prefer that deposits be advanced from contents or other appropriate coverage. This expedites the housing process and encourages the policyholder to take good care of the property and furnishings. Exposing either the insurance company or ALE Solutions to damage costs only serves to increase overall housing costs. How does your billing work? ALE bills upfront for the duration of the stay. The invoice will list each month on separate line items. Security deposit, if any, will be listed separately. Any extensions will be billed as they are incurred. What paperwork does my policyholder sign? The policyholder will need to sign the residential lease as presented by the property owner. The policyholder will also be expected to sign a housing agreement with ALE Solutions if they agree to accept a property we are providing. The agreement outlines the responsibilities of both parties and gives authorization for housing related insurance payments to be paid directly to ALE Solutions. Will someone notify me before the lease ends? All our leases are negotiated with a 30-day move out/extension notice provision. We will contact you in writing and by phone 45 days prior to the end of the lease so that you will have sufficient time to determine if the lease should be ended or extended. It is important that a notice is sent out on time so that additional charges are not incurred. Who will handle utility connections? When requested, we will coordinate utility connections and transfers. How do you handle pets? We accommodate domestic pets in most of our placements. Often the landlord charges a pet fee in the form of a non-refundable deposit. How important is my commitment to length of stay? Accurately estimating the length of stay helps to control costs. It is important not to significantly underestimate the length of stay needed. For example, it is generally more expensive to ask for a three-month stay with (3) one-month extensions than requesting a six-month stay from the outset. Property owners become more receptive to short-term rentals and lease prices tend to decrease with longer lease commitments. How do you locate housing anywhere in the country? Our experienced relocation specialists utilize a number of tools and techniques for finding all available properties that suit the specific needs of the family. Among our resources is an exclusive nationwide database of properties and a custom search engine for locating listed properties. Many available properties are not listed and are found by following an exhaustive manual search protocol. What is provided with each temporary residence? Each property is furnished to suit the specific needs of the family. Our furniture packages come in several quality levels to suit the family's lifestyle. Specific requests can be accommodated from home offices to special needs furnishings. What does providing the "optimum property" mean? The optimum property is one that meets the expectations of your insured while remaining within your budget and policy provisions.