Temporary Lodging in Stuttgart: A Checklist for TDY, TLA and TQSA

Suitcase standing by the door of a hotel room

Your first nights in Stuttgart are usually spent in temporary lodging, whether you come on TDY, on a permanent move with TLA or as a Department of Defense (DoD) civilian with TQSA. Each one has its own office and its own paperwork. This checklist walks you through it in order: before you arrive, your first days, what to ask, what to keep and what to ask any place you stay.

Your orders and the responsible office always have the final word on what applies to you and what is reimbursed. Every rule on this page shows the official page it comes from and the month we checked it.

Which one are you?

  • TDY: you travel on temporary duty orders and your lodging is part of per diem. Your travel or finance office and your approving official decide what your orders allow. See TDY to Stuttgart: Your First Week.
  • TLA: you are a service member on a permanent move (PCS) and stay in temporary lodging while you look for a home. In Stuttgart you start with the Housing Office. See our allowances guide.
  • TQSA: you are a DoD civilian on a move to Stuttgart. The civilian personnel office (CPAC) is your point of contact. See TQSA in Stuttgart: A Guide for DoD Civilians.

Sources: DTMO: Per Diem Rate Lookup, DTMO: Temporary Lodging Allowance, USAG Stuttgart Housing Checked: Nov 2026

Before you arrive

On TDY

  • Get your report-to contact and address from your sponsor or receiving unit.
  • Ask your travel or finance office which lodging your orders allow, before you book anything.
  • Contact on-post lodging to check availability. The CPF lists this as one of its top pre-arrival tips.
  • Look up the current per diem rate for your exact travel dates and location in the DTMO per diem tool.
  • Save your lodging address on your phone as text or a screenshot, in case you have no data when you land.

Sources: USAG Stuttgart CPF, DTMO: Per Diem Rate Lookup Checked: Nov 2026

On TLA (service members on PCS)

  • Email a copy of your orders with all amendments and a completed DD1746 (Application for Assignment to Housing) to the Housing Services Office. Include any applicable leave documentation.
  • Contact on-post lodging to check availability before you look anywhere else.
  • If you plan an off-post hotel, know that the Housing page says you need a statement of non-availability (SNA) number from the on-post hotel, issued for your dates.
  • Plan for your Housing Office check-in right after arrival. The USAG Stuttgart Housing page says within 2 calendar days of arrival, and the regional TLA regulation says within 2 workdays. Confirm the deadline that applies to you with the Housing Office immediately on arrival.

Sources: USAG Stuttgart Housing, AEA Regulation 37-4: Temporary Lodging Allowance (Nov 14, 2024), USAG Stuttgart CPF Checked: Nov 2026

On TQSA (DoD civilians)

  • Ask your gaining HR office or CPAC whether TQSA is part of your offer and orders, and for how many days.
  • Ask whether an advance of funds for TQSA is possible. The first advance is limited to the maximum for the first 30 days.
  • Send the same housing documents as service members: your orders with all amendments and a completed DD1746 to the Housing Services Office.
  • Ask CPAC before you book which kind of temporary quarters your agency accepts.

Sources: USAG Stuttgart Housing, DSSR 113.2 (advance of funds), DSSR 120 (TQSA) Checked: Nov 2026

Your first days

On TDY

  • Ask your sponsor or unit whether and when you check in at the Central Processing Facility (CPF), and what to bring.
  • Ask for an itemized bill when you check in, not only when you leave.

Source: USAG Stuttgart CPF Checked: Nov 2026

On TLA

  • Report to the Housing Office right away (see the deadline above).
  • If you are required to live on post, check in with the Housing Office every week about your place on the waiting list.
  • If you are authorized to live off post, you must show an active search once your certificate of non-availability (CNA) is issued: 3 homes viewed within the first 15 days of arrival, then 6 homes in each 15-day period after that.
  • TLA is reimbursed in 15-day increments. You give your hotel bill to the Housing Office to receive the TLA document for finance.
  • If government lodging is available but you do not use it, the regional regulation limits TLA lodging reimbursement to the cost of government lodging.

Sources: USAG Stuttgart Housing, AEA Regulation 37-4: Temporary Lodging Allowance (Nov 14, 2024) Checked: Nov 2026

On TQSA

  • TQSA starts on the day you arrive at post, or the day you first pay for temporary lodging, if that is later.
  • Start a daily record of what you spend on meals, laundry and dry cleaning. You claim these costs with your certified statement, and the lodging costs with receipts.
  • Complete your in-processing at the CPF. DoD civilians are required to in-process.

Sources: DSSR 120 (TQSA), USAG Stuttgart CPF Checked: Nov 2026

What to ask the offices

Write these questions down before your first appointment. Ask the office that handles your stay type: your travel or finance office on TDY, the Housing Office and finance on TLA, CPAC on TQSA.

  • Which lodging do my orders or my agency allow, and does it have to be booked a certain way?
  • Do I need a statement of non-availability before I stay off post?
  • How many days are authorized, and what happens if I need longer?
  • How often do I submit a claim, and on which form?
  • Which documents do you need with each claim, and do you need originals?
  • Is an advance possible, and how is it settled later?
  • Who do I contact if my orders or my move-in date change?

Documents to keep

The rule

TLA claims

  • The TLA claim form your service prescribes.
  • Itemized receipts, invoices or statements for the lodging you used during the claim period.
  • A complete set of your PCS orders, including amendments, for the first claim and for extensions.
  • A statement of non-availability or impracticality of government quarters, if it applies to you.
  • If you are told to seek housing, a list of the private rentals you viewed, with the reasons you did not take them.

Source: AEA Regulation 37-4: Temporary Lodging Allowance (Nov 14, 2024) Checked: Nov 2026

The rule

TQSA claims

  • Standard Form 1190 (SF-1190). You tick TQSA (DSSR 120) in item 21a and enter the start and end dates and the amount you claim. Your agency tells you how to show an advance.
  • Receipts or other documentation for the daily cost of your temporary lodging.
  • Your certified statement of daily costs for meals, laundry and dry cleaning. The State Department TQSA worksheet (DSSR 120) may be used to support your claim.
  • DoD policy says that if receipts are not submitted, allowance payments are suspended until they are.

Sources: DSSR 120 (TQSA), GSA: SF-1190, DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 1250 Checked: Nov 2026

Good practice

On TDY

This is editorial advice, not a rule:

  • Keep your orders, itemized lodging bills and receipts together for your travel claim, and ask your finance office or approving official what it needs.

Questions for any lodging

Whether you look at a hotel, a guesthouse or a furnished apartment, these questions help you avoid surprises with your claim. This is editorial advice, not a rule:

  • Can you give me an itemized invoice in my name that shows the dates, the nightly rate and the taxes separately?
  • Can you issue an invoice for each claim period (for example every 15 days on TLA), or only at the end of my stay?
  • How far is it from my place of duty, and how do I get there by bus, U-Bahn, S-Bahn or car? TQSA asks for temporary quarters within reasonable proximity of the post.
  • What are the cancellation terms if my orders change or permanent housing becomes available early?
  • Is there a kitchen and a washing machine, and is cleaning included?
  • What are the check-in hours, and is late arrival possible?
  • Is Wi-Fi included, and is there parking if I have or rent a car?

Looking at furnished apartments for your TDY or your time on TLA or TQSA? See furnished apartments in Stuttgart for options in the city. Before you book, confirm the lodging and how it is reimbursed with your travel or finance office, the Housing Office or CPAC.

Source: DSSR 120 (TQSA) Checked: Nov 2026

Who to ask

Back to TDY & PCS in Stuttgart

Moving to Stuttgart is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the U.S. Army, the Department of Defense or USAG Stuttgart. Spotted something outdated? Tell us: info@movingtostuttgart.com