Temporary Lodging Allowance (TLA)
Upon arrival to Australia you will need to occupy commercial lodging (hotel) due to the unavailability of government lodging/housing. You are authorized to stay in commercial lodging until your HHGs (Household Goods) are delivered to your permanent residence. The maximum lodging rate is based on your family size. Please see DODFMR Vol. 7A, Table 68-11 for calculation or contact the 337th Financial Management team at 337ASUF.FM.Finance@us.af.mil
**Note** does not apply to members in Department of State housing or other government provided housing.
TLA Reimbursement Process
Every two weeks provide your itemized/$0 balance lodging receipt to the 337th ASUF/FM at 337ASUF.FM.Finance@us.af.mil
Air Force: Please submit your lodging receipt to the 337th and we will process your TLA and forward to your respective finance office.
Other services: We will generate a TLA approval letter as the housing office. This letter is required by your admin team to process your TLA reimbursement.
**Note** Unaccompanied members receive 65% of the local per diem rate.
Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA)
Australia does not have privatized/government housing unless your unit falls under the Embassy housing pool or you are posted in Alice Springs or Learmonth. Members in this case should contact their unit for more information. All other members, must seek housing in the local economy.
OHA rates are based on pay grade and dependency status. Please see OHA rates posted on the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) website. https://www.travel.dod.mil/Allowances/Overseas-Housing-Allowance/
**Note** Most Australian rental amounts are listed as “Per Week”. Per Week means this is the amount you will be required to pay per week to your landlord/agent. Rates may also list as “Fortnightly” which means you will pay every two weeks.
To calculate your monthly expense take the Per Week amount and divide by 7 days to get the daily rate (Fortnightly will divide by 14 days). Take the daily rate and multiply by 365 days to determine the annual cost. Finally, divide the annual cost by 12 months. This will give you actual monthly cost. Do not take the cost per week and multiply by 4.
Example:
Cost per week: $720 AUD
$720 / 7 = $102.86 AUD (Daily Rate)
$102.86 * 365 = $37,543.90 (Annual Rate)
$37,543.90 / 12 = $3,128.66 (Monthly Rate)
OHA Processing/Changes
Before you sign a lease, we recommend you contact our legal team at PACAF.JAOL-E.CANBERRA@US.AF.MIL for a lease review.
Once your lease is signed, please send it to the 337th ASUF/FM team at 337ASUF.FM.Finance@us.af.mil. We will generate your DD Form 2367 and send it to you for signature. If at any time your rent increases or decreases, please contact us so we can generate an updated DD Form 2367 to reflect any changes to your lease. If you are maxed out on OHA, it is still important that the system reflects what you currently pay for rent.
Air Force: We will submit your signed DD Form 2367 and your lease to your respective finance office.
Other services: Your admin team will need the DD Form 2367 and your signed lease to start your OHA entitlement.
Please check your monthly LES to ensure you are receiving the correct rate for OHA. If you are unsure if your rate is correct, feel free to reach out to the 337th FM team.
Cost of Living Allowance (COLA)
COLA is an additional non-taxable pay allowance designed to offset the higher overseas prices of non-housing goods and services. This allowance is based on pay grade, years of service, and number of command sponsored dependents living at the overseas location. Please reference the rates posted on the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) website. https://www.travel.dod.mil/Allowances/Overseas-Cost-of-Living-Allowance/
**Note** COLA fluctuates on a daily basis and is based on the current exchange rate. Your COLA will be different each pay period.