Fort Walton Beach and Destin Hurricane Isaias Temporary Housing: Live in an RV on Your Own Lot

    By Michael Wojciak, founder, Agile RV Housing

    Updated October 7, 2026: Okaloosa and Walton counties are inside the National Hurricane Center's Hurricane Watch, and NHC forecasts 5 to 7 feet of storm surge from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to Indian Pass, Florida, a stretch that includes the Fort Walton Beach, Destin, and South Walton coast (NHC Advisory 4).

    Agile RV Housing places a fully set up RV on your own lot in Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Niceville, Crestview, Santa Rosa Beach, Miramar Beach, or DeFuniak Springs when storm damage leaves your home unlivable. It is for homeowners with homeowners insurance. Loss of Use (Coverage D, also called Additional Living Expense) often pays for it once your adjuster approves it, and we work with your adjuster.

    Delivery is about four days from approval to move-in. The main variable is scheduling the electrical contractor. The rate is $120 to $140 a night, tax included, and our rate has not changed for the storm. Delivery and setup are priced separately for each property. We serve Okaloosa and Walton counties and all 48 contiguous states.

    Call (614) 655-4286

    Isaias and Okaloosa and Walton counties. At the 10:00 a.m. CDT advisory on October 7, Tropical Storm Isaias had 45 mph winds. The National Hurricane Center forecasts a strong hurricane, with winds near 105 to 110 mph, reaching the northern Gulf Coast Friday afternoon, October 9, with the forecast center crossing near the Alabama and Florida Panhandle coast. The Hurricane Watch and the Storm Surge Watch both cover the Okaloosa and Walton coast. Coastwide updates are on our Hurricane Isaias temporary housing page.

    Can you legally live in a camper in Florida after a storm?

    Yes. After the Governor declares a state of emergency for a natural disaster, Florida law bars a county or city from blocking a resident from living in one RV or similar unit on the lot of a home made uninhabitable, for up to 36 months or until the repaired home gets its certificate of occupancy, whichever comes first.

    The conditions are a good-faith effort to rebuild, such as applying for a building permit; a unit connected to water and electric that is not a health or safety threat; and the resident living in it. Walton County and DeFuniak Springs also have their own written RV rules, and Agile RV Housing works through them with you.

    Florida state law (applies in both counties)

    Fla. Stat. 125.023 covers counties and Fla. Stat. 166.0335 covers cities. Both were added in 2023. The protection runs up to 36 months from the Governor's declaration or until the repaired home gets its certificate of occupancy, whichever comes first. The conditions:

    • You are making a good-faith effort to rebuild, for example by applying for a building permit.
    • The unit is connected to water and electric and is not a health or safety threat.
    • The resident of the damaged home lives in it.

    Section 125.023 covers unincorporated Okaloosa and Walton counties, including Santa Rosa Beach and Miramar Beach. Section 166.0335 covers Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Niceville, Crestview, and DeFuniak Springs.

    Walton County, including Santa Rosa Beach and Miramar Beach

    Walton County's Land Development Code, Sec. 2.02.00(P), lets a property owner use an RV as a temporary residence during construction of a primary residence on the same parcel, in any zoning district that allows homes. The conditions:

    • One RV per development site, with an active building permit for the home.
    • A permit for the RV, good for one year from the date it is issued.
    • Lawful disposal of all gray and black water.
    • In a flood zone, the RV stays ready for immediate highway use.
    • RV use ends within 14 days after the first certificate of occupancy.

    After a Governor's declaration, Fla. Stat. 125.023 adds its 36-month protection for a storm-damaged home.

    DeFuniak Springs

    The City of DeFuniak Springs has a written emergency rule. Under Sec. 18-53 of the city's Land Development Code, the city manager can grant express permission, during or right after a state of emergency, for a travel trailer or RV to serve as housing for a limited period because of hardship caused by the emergency.

    The same section also allows a travel trailer as a temporary shelter while construction is underway on the property. Inside city limits, Fla. Stat. 166.0335 applies after a Governor's declaration as well. Agile RV Housing works through that request with you.

    Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Niceville, Crestview, and unincorporated Okaloosa County

    Rules for an RV on your own lot differ by city in Okaloosa County. Some require a permit, and some approve temporary housing through emergency orders after a major storm. After the Governor declares a state of emergency, Florida law covers every one of these places: Fla. Stat. 166.0335 inside Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Niceville, and Crestview, and Fla. Stat. 125.023 in unincorporated Okaloosa County.

    Agile RV Housing confirms the rules for your exact address before anything is delivered. Run the free zoning check or call (614) 655-4286, and we will tell you what applies.

    Flood zone rules in Okaloosa and Walton counties

    Both counties use the Florida flood rule for RVs: an RV placed in a flood hazard area must be on site fewer than 180 consecutive days or be fully licensed and ready for highway use, meaning on its wheels or jacking system, attached only by quick disconnect utilities, with no additions, decks, or porches (Okaloosa LDC 3.06.14, Walton LDC 4.09.14).

    Walton County adds a coastal rule for V zones, Coastal A zones, and the regulatory floodway. It allows temporary parking of an RV on a previously developed parcel when the RV will be moved if flooding threatens. We look up your flood zone and plan around it.

    Long-term RV rental in Fort Walton Beach and Destin, delivered to your lot

    Agile RV Housing's long-term RV rental in Fort Walton Beach, Destin, and South Walton is housing for a homeowner whose house is being repaired, set up on that homeowner's own lot and usually paid by Loss of Use once the adjuster approves it. The rate is $120 to $140 a night, tax included. Delivery and setup are priced separately.

    Stays run 60 days or longer, then month to month with no maximum. Most families stay about five months. If you work at Eglin Air Force Base or Hurlburt Field, you keep your commute. Your kids stay in their Okaloosa or Walton school, pets stay with you, and you are home when the adjuster and contractors arrive. See what RV housing costs.

    Temporary power pole for an RV in Okaloosa and Walton counties

    A licensed electrical contractor installs the power for every Agile RV Housing unit in Okaloosa and Walton counties, and we arrange the contractor. If the house has lost its utility power, the electrician and your electric utility coordinate a temporary power pole for the RV.

    Agile RV Housing sets up the water and sewer hookup. Florida's state law asks for a unit connected to water and electric, and Walton County's construction rule requires lawful disposal of all gray and black water, so the utility work is part of meeting the rules. Scheduling the electrician is the main variable in delivery, which is about four days from approval to move-in. See RV utility setup.

    Does homeowners insurance or Citizens cover temporary housing in Florida?

    A Florida homeowners policy that covers wind often pays Loss of Use when wind damage makes a Fort Walton Beach, Destin, or Walton County home unlivable, and an RV on your own lot can be that housing once your adjuster approves it.

    Citizens Property Insurance includes Loss of Use in its HO-3 homeowners policy and in its HW-2 wind-only policy. On an HW-2 policy, Loss of Use is 10 percent of Coverage A, the dwelling limit on your declarations page (Citizens personal policies). How the hurricane deductible applies varies by Florida insurer, so ask yours how it applies to your claim and your living expenses. Our ALE coverage guide explains how the limit is set.

    How far does Loss of Use go in an RV compared with a hotel?

    An RV on your own lot draws substantially less against your Loss of Use limit than an extended hotel stay for an Okaloosa or Walton County family. An Agile RV Housing unit at the top of our $120 to $140 nightly range, tax included, sleeps a family of up to five.

    The same family in hotels needs two rooms, and two rooms at typical ALE-approved rates cost more than $140 a night before meals, pet fees, and laundry. The RV also has its own kitchen, so the family cooks at home. On a Citizens HW-2 policy, where Loss of Use is a fixed 10 percent of Coverage A, that difference decides how far the coverage stretches through the repair.

    Does flood insurance cover additional living expenses?

    No, not on a National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy. Section V.A.5 of the standard NFIP policy excludes additional living expenses incurred while the building "is unable to be occupied for any reason" (44 CFR Part 61, Appendix A(1)).

    With surge and hurricane winds both forecast for the Okaloosa and Walton coast, one house can carry a flood claim and a wind claim. The adjuster decides what each policy pays, and the wind side can still trigger Loss of Use under your homeowners or Citizens policy.

    FEMA cannot pay for needs that insurance covers (FEMA), so insured homeowners in both counties arrange temporary housing through their insurer. If your flood policy is private, check its declarations page for living expenses. More in our flood insurance and temporary housing guide.

    How long does a Florida insurance company have to pay a hurricane claim?

    Under Fla. Stat. 627.70131, a Florida insurer must acknowledge your claim within 7 days, inspect within 30 days of receiving proof of loss, and pay or deny within 60 days. Fla. Stat. 627.70132 gives you one year from the hurricane's landfall to give notice of a hurricane claim.

    If you and your insurer disagree on a claim of $500 or more, the Florida Department of Financial Services runs a mediation program that is free to you, because the insurer pays its cost (Fla. Admin. Code 69J-166.031); call 1-877-693-5236. For an Okaloosa or Walton County homeowner who needs housing now, the step that matters most is the adjuster's written approval of an RV on your lot.

    How do you get temporary housing for an insurance claim near Destin?

    Tell your adjuster you want an RV on your own property as your Loss of Use housing, and ask for the approval in writing. An RV on your own lot is commonly approved as ALE housing even when it is not the first option offered. If the adjuster asks about local rules, Fla. Stat. 125.023 and 166.0335 are worth mentioning.

    You choose who provides your temporary housing. Your insurer or its housing agency may suggest a provider, and the choice stays yours. Your insurer may route housing through a temporary housing agency. In that case, ask your housing specialist for Agile RV Housing. We are a preferred vendor with the national temporary housing agencies, including ALE Solutions, Alacrity, Sedgwick, CRS, and National Corporate Housing, and we work with all of them. You can also call us directly at (614) 655-4286.

    How we have done this

    Agile RV Housing has completed over 100 long-term placements in the last two years, and founder Michael Wojciak has 10 years in RV rental and fleet operations. Agile is a preferred vendor with the national temporary housing agencies.

    For an Okaloosa or Walton County home, that experience goes into the parts that take the most care: the Walton County RV permit or the DeFuniak Springs city manager's permission, the flood zone, and hookups to water, sewer, and a temporary power pole.

    Call (614) 655-4286. Tell us your address and who insures you. We will tell you which county, city, and state rules apply to your lot, and what to ask your adjuster. Or start with the free zoning check.

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    Frequently asked questions

    Can Okaloosa County or the City of Destin stop me from living in an RV on my lot after a hurricane?

    After the Governor declares a state of emergency for a natural disaster, Florida Statutes 125.023 and 166.0335 bar a county or city from blocking one RV on the lot of a home made uninhabitable, for up to 36 months or until the home's certificate of occupancy. You must be rebuilding in good faith, have the unit connected to water and electric, and live in it.

    Can I live in an RV in Santa Rosa Beach or Miramar Beach while my home is rebuilt?

    Santa Rosa Beach and Miramar Beach are in unincorporated Walton County. Walton County's Land Development Code, Sec. 2.02.00(P), lets a property owner live in one RV during construction of a home on the same parcel, with an active building permit and an RV permit good for one year. Fla. Stat. 125.023 also applies after a Governor's declaration.

    Does DeFuniak Springs allow an RV after a hurricane?

    DeFuniak Springs Land Development Code Sec. 18-53 lets the city manager grant express permission, during or right after a state of emergency, for a travel trailer or RV to serve as housing for a limited time because of hardship caused by the emergency. Agile RV Housing works through that request with you.

    My Walton County home is in a coastal flood zone. Can an RV go there?

    Walton County's floodplain rule, LDC 4.09.14, has a coastal provision for V zones, Coastal A zones, and the regulatory floodway, and it allows temporary parking of an RV on a previously developed parcel when the RV will be moved if flooding threatens. Agile RV Housing checks your flood zone before delivery.

    Does a Citizens policy include Loss of Use for an RV on my property?

    Citizens Property Insurance includes Loss of Use in its HO-3 homeowners policy and its HW-2 wind-only policy. On an HW-2 policy, Loss of Use is 10 percent of Coverage A. Ask your Citizens adjuster to approve an RV on your own property in Okaloosa or Walton County as your Loss of Use housing.

    Can you rent an RV for six months in Fort Walton Beach or Destin?

    Yes. Agile RV Housing's minimum stay is 60 days, then month to month with no maximum, and most families stay about five months. The rate is $120 to $140 a night, tax included, and Loss of Use often pays it once your adjuster approves it.

    Sources

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