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Suggest a Feature →Permissive TDY: House Hunting
General information, not legal advice. For legal issues, contact Trial Defense Service (TDS) or your Legal Assistance Office.
“You only get house hunting leave if your command feels like approving it.”
You are authorized up to 10 days of permissive TDY for house hunting at your new duty station during a PCS. This is non-chargeable leave — it does not come out of your leave balance. The regulation authorizes it; your command should approve it as a matter of course.
What You're Authorized
Up to 10 days of non-chargeable PTDY for the purpose of finding housing at your new permanent duty station. This applies to both CONUS and OCONUS PCS moves.
How To Request It
1. Include PTDY in your PCS leave request (DA Form 31 for Army) 2. Specify that it's PTDY for house/apartment hunting under JTR Chapter 5 3. Get it approved before you execute your PCS 4. The PTDY typically occurs either en route to your new duty station or upon arrival
What Counts as House Hunting
The PTDY is specifically for finding a place to live. This includes:
- Visiting apartments, houses, or on-post housing
- Meeting with realtors or property managers
- Inspecting neighborhoods and schools
- Completing rental applications or mortgage paperwork
Key Details
Not chargeable: This does NOT come out of your 30 days of annual leave. It's separate.
Can be combined with regular leave: Many soldiers take PTDY, then take regular leave, then report to their new unit.
DLA (Dislocation Allowance): In addition to PTDY, you're authorized DLA — a lump-sum payment to help cover the costs of moving. DLA rates are based on rank and dependency status.
Related PCS Entitlements
While we're talking about PCS, here are other entitlements many soldiers don't fully use:
- Travel days: You're authorized travel time based on the distance of your move
- TLE (Temporary Lodging Expense): Up to 10 days of lodging reimbursement at your old/new station
- MALT (Monetary Allowance in Lieu of Transportation): Mileage reimbursement for driving your POV
- POV shipment: For OCONUS moves, the government ships your car
- HHG shipment: Your household goods shipment is covered up to your weight allowance
Review your PCS orders and the JTR before you move to make sure you're claiming everything you're entitled to.
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Contact your installation's Trial Defense Service (TDS) for UCMJ matters, or Legal Assistance Office for general legal issues. These services are free for active duty service members.