Most mortgage companies will defer a payment, but only if you ask before you miss it and meet their conditions

A mortgage deferral means your lender postpones one or more monthly payments instead of marking them late. The deferred amount typically gets added to the end of your loan — you pay it back later, not right now. This is different from skipping a payment without permission, which triggers late fees and credit damage within 30 days.

Whether your lender will grant a deferral depends on the type of loan you have, your payment history, and the reason you need the deferral. Government-backed loans (FHA, VA, USDA) have formal deferral programs. Conventional loans handled by large servicers often have options too, but the terms vary. Private lenders and portfolio lenders may refuse entirely.

The key is timing: you must contact your lender before your payment is due, not after. Once you miss a payment, you move into delinquency, and a deferral becomes harder to negotiate.

Key Takeaways

  • Contact your lender before your payment due date to request a deferral; asking after you miss a payment makes approval much less likely.
  • FHA loans have a formal forbearance program that can defer up to six months of payments; VA and USDA loans have similar options.
  • Conventional loans may offer deferral through your servicer's loss mitigation department, but terms depend on the lender and your situation.
  • Deferred payments are added to the end of your loan, so you will owe more total interest and extend your payoff date.
  • If your lender refuses a deferral, ask about loan modification, partial payment plans, or refinancing as alternatives.

How mortgage deferral works and what it costs you

When a deferral is approved, your lender stops requiring that month's payment. The amount owed does not disappear — it gets tacked onto your loan balance or your final payment. You will pay interest on the deferred amount for however long it takes to repay it.

If you defer three months at $1,500 per month, you owe an extra $4,500 plus interest. That interest compounds over the remaining life of the loan. A 30-year mortgage with a deferral in year five means you are paying interest on that deferred amount for 25 more years.

Deferrals also extend your payoff date. If you had 25 years left and defer six months, you now have 25.5 years left (unless you make extra payments later). Your credit report will not show a late payment if the deferral is approved before the due date, but it may show the deferral itself or a note that you are in forbearance.

FHA, VA, and USDA loan deferral programs

If you have an FHA loan, your servicer can offer forbearance (the formal term for deferral on government loans). You can defer up to six months of payments, and in some cases up to 12 months if you have a documented hardship. The deferred amount is added to your loan balance or spread across your remaining payments.

To request FHA forbearance, contact your servicer's loss mitigation or customer service department. You will need to explain your hardship — job loss, medical emergency, reduced income — and show that you expect to resume payments within the forbearance period. Approval usually takes two to four weeks.

VA loans have a similar forbearance option. If you are a VA borrower, your servicer can defer payments for up to 12 months. You do not need to prove hardship the way FHA borrowers do, but you must contact your servicer before the payment is due. USDA loans also allow forbearance for up to 12 months under similar terms.

All three programs require that you are current on your loan or only slightly behind (usually no more than 30 days late). If you are already 60 days or more behind, forbearance becomes much harder to obtain.

Conventional loans and servicer deferral policies

Conventional loans do not have a single national deferral program the way government loans do. Instead, each servicer sets its own policy. Large servicers like Rocket Mortgage, Fidelity, Loan Depot, and others typically have a loss mitigation or hardship department that can discuss deferral options.

To find out whether your servicer offers deferral, call the number on your mortgage statement and ask for the loss mitigation department. Explain your situation — a temporary income loss, medical expense, or other hardship — and ask what options are available. Some servicers will defer one or two payments; others may refuse and offer a loan modification instead.

Approval depends on your payment history and the servicer's appetite for risk. If you have been on time for years and hit a temporary problem, approval is more likely. If you have a history of late payments, the servicer may decline deferral and push you toward a loan modification (which permanently changes your loan terms) or a repayment plan (which spreads missed payments across future months).

Private lenders and portfolio lenders (lenders who keep loans on their own books rather than selling them) are less predictable. Some will work with you; others will not. Always ask before you miss a payment.

What happens if your lender denies a deferral request

If your servicer refuses a deferral, ask what alternatives they offer. The most common are a loan modification (which changes the interest rate, term, or principal to lower your payment permanently) or a repayment plan (which spreads your missed payments across future months so you pay a little extra each month until you catch up).

A loan modification is more permanent but takes longer to process — often 30 to 60 days. A repayment plan is faster but only works if you can afford the higher payment. If neither option works, you can explore refinancing with a different lender, though refinancing requires a credit check and may not be possible if you are already behind.

If you are facing foreclosure, contact a HUD-approved housing counselor through the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) or your local housing authority. Counselors can negotiate with your lender on your behalf and may uncover deferral or modification options you did not know existed.

The difference between deferral and forbearance

The terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a technical difference. Forbearance is the formal program name used by government-backed loans and some servicers. Deferral is the informal term for postponing a payment. When you call your lender, you can use either word — they will understand what you mean.

Both mean the same thing in practice: your payment is postponed, not forgiven. You will owe it eventually, with interest. The main difference is that forbearance programs (especially on FHA loans) have published rules and timelines, while deferral policies on conventional loans vary by servicer and are often negotiated case by case.

Steps to request a mortgage deferral

Start by calling the customer service number on your mortgage statement. Ask to speak with the loss mitigation or hardship department. Have your loan number, account number, and a brief explanation of your situation ready.

Explain what happened — job loss, medical emergency, temporary income reduction — and ask what deferral options are available. The servicer will ask how long you need the deferral (one month, three months, six months) and whether you expect to resume full payments after that period.

If the servicer says yes, ask for the terms in writing before you sign anything. Confirm how many payments are deferred, when they will be added back to your loan, and whether interest accrues on the deferred amount. Some servicers will email or mail a forbearance agreement; others will note it in your account and send confirmation by mail.

Once approved, make no payment for the deferred month(s). Paying anyway can confuse the servicer's system. After the deferral period ends, resume your regular payment unless the servicer has told you otherwise.

How deferral affects your credit and your loan timeline

If you request and receive a deferral before your payment is due, your credit report will not show a late payment. Some credit bureaus may note that you are in forbearance, but that is less damaging than a 30-day late mark.

If you miss the payment and then ask for a deferral after the fact, the late payment may already be reported to the credit bureaus. In that case, the deferral stops further damage (no 60-day or 90-day late marks), but the initial 30-day late stays on your report for seven years.

Deferral extends your loan timeline. If you have a 30-year mortgage and defer six months, you now have 30.5 years of payments (unless you pay extra later to make up the time). This means more total interest paid over the life of the loan. If you want to avoid that, you can make extra payments once your situation improves to bring your payoff date back to the original schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I defer a payment if I am already 30 days late?

It is much harder, but not impossible. Servicers prefer to defer payments before they are late. If you are already 30 days behind, call immediately and explain your situation. Some servicers will still offer deferral, but they may require a longer repayment plan or a loan modification instead. The sooner you call, the better your chances.

What if I have a second mortgage or home equity line of credit?

You will need to contact the servicer of each loan separately. Your first mortgage servicer may defer, but your second mortgage servicer may not. If only one loan is deferred, you still owe the other. Some borrowers in hardship can negotiate with both lenders, but it requires separate conversations with each.

Does deferral mean I do not have to pay that money back?

No. Deferral postpones the payment, not forgives it. You will owe the deferred amount eventually, either as a lump sum at the end of the loan or spread across future payments. Interest continues to accrue on the deferred amount unless your servicer specifies otherwise in writing.

How long does it take to get a deferral approved?

If you call before your payment is due and have a clear hardship, approval can happen in one to two weeks. If you are already late, it may take longer — up to four weeks — because the servicer has to review your full account history. Always ask for a timeline when you request the deferral.

Can I refinance while in deferral?

Most lenders will not refinance a loan that is in active forbearance or deferral. You typically have to wait until the deferral period ends and you have resumed regular payments for at least one or two months. If you are planning to refinance, ask your current servicer whether deferral will affect your ability to do so.