Reimbursement of Brokers' Fees To Obtain Rental Housing

An agency requested an advance GAO decision as to whether certain employees on temporary duty for training purposes could be reimbursed for brokers' fees charged for locating rental housing. The employees attempted to rent apartments to reduce the cost of lodging during their temporary duty assignments, and had difficulty locating suitable apartments without the services of a broker. The apartment rents, including the broker's fees, would be less costly than rental of hotel rooms during the same period. The agency found no authority for the payment in the Federal Travel Regulations. GAO believed there was such authority if certain criteria were met. The Federal Travel Regulations require an employee to exercise the same care in incurring expenses while traveling on official business as a prudent person would when traveling on personal business. They also require an agency to reduce the per diem for extended stays when travelers are able to secure lodgings and meals at lower costs. The agency could reimburse its employees for brokers' fees if they could show it was necessary to incur those expenses to obtain lower cost lodgings and the amount they expended for rent and fees was less than what they would have incurred for hotel rooms during the same period.