Mortgage Hardship Letter

A mortgage hardship letter documents, in your own words, the circumstances making it hard to keep up with your mortgage payments. Mortgage servicers typically require one as part of applying for loss-mitigation options — a loan modification, forbearance, or repayment plan — so it's often not optional so much as the first required step in a larger process.

It carries more weight than a general hardship letter because it usually accompanies a formal application with supporting documentation, and because the stakes — keeping your home — are higher.

Write this as part of applying for mortgage relief, typically at your servicer's request or as a required part of a loss-mitigation application.

• You're behind or at risk of falling behind on mortgage payments
• Your servicer requires a hardship letter as part of a loan modification or forbearance application
• You want to formally request specific relief — modification, forbearance, or a repayment plan
• You're trying to avoid foreclosure and need to document your situation as part of that process

Describe the hardship clearly, name the property address if it differs from your mailing address, and state what kind of relief you're requesting — even if you're not sure which option fits best, naming what you understand to be available (modification, forbearance, repayment plan) helps the servicer route your request.

• Servicers often require this alongside financial documentation — pay stubs, bank statements, a hardship affidavit — so treat the letter as one piece of a larger application, not a standalone request
• Be specific about the property address if you've moved or it's a rental, since the servicer needs to tie the hardship to the right loan and property
• State plainly what you're asking for, even in general terms, so the servicer knows which loss-mitigation path to evaluate you for
• Act as early as possible — loss-mitigation options are generally easier to access before you're deep in delinquency or foreclosure has started
• Keep a copy of everything you send, along with dates, since mortgage relief applications often involve multiple rounds of documentation

Servicers are generally required to acknowledge a complete loss-mitigation application and evaluate you for available options within set timeframes, though exact requirements vary. Expect follow-up requests for documentation before a decision is made — this is a normal part of the process, not a sign something went wrong.