What Is a Repayment Plan for a Mortgage?

What Is a Mortgage Repayment Plan?

A mortgage repayment plan is an agreement between you and your servicer to catch up on your past-due balance over a defined period of time. Under a repayment plan, you continue making your regular monthly mortgage payment plus an additional amount each month that goes toward your arrears until you are fully caught up.

Unlike a loan modification, a repayment plan does not permanently change your loan’s interest rate, term, or any other terms. Your original loan remains in place. The repayment plan is simply a structured way to repay what you already owe over a series of months rather than all at once.

How a Repayment Plan Differs From a Loan Modification

This distinction is important:

• A repayment plan catches you up on past-due amounts while your original loan terms remain unchanged. After the plan period ends, you resume normal monthly payments under your original loan terms.
• A loan modification permanently changes one or more terms of your loan — such as your interest rate, loan term, or principal balance — typically to reduce your ongoing monthly payment.

A repayment plan is appropriate when your hardship has resolved and you can afford your original monthly payment again — you just need time to pay back what you missed. If your original payment is still unaffordable, a modification is more appropriate.

How the Repayment Amount Is Calculated

The monthly repayment plan payment is your regular monthly mortgage payment plus an additional amount equal to your total past-due balance divided by the number of months in the plan. For example:

• Regular monthly payment: $1,500
• Total past-due balance: $4,500 (3 missed payments)
• Repayment plan duration: 6 months
• Additional monthly amount: $4,500 ÷ 6 = $750
• Total monthly payment during plan: $1,500 + $750 = $2,250

The servicer has discretion in setting the plan duration, which affects the size of the additional monthly payment. A longer plan period means smaller additional amounts but a longer commitment.

Who Typically Qualifies for a Repayment Plan?

Repayment plans are generally available to homeowners who:

• Experienced a temporary hardship that has since resolved
• Have sufficient income to support the higher combined payment during the plan period
• Are generally fewer than 12 months behind (requirements vary by servicer and loan type)
• Have not previously defaulted on a prior repayment plan for the same loan in some servicer guidelines

Servicers have significant discretion in approving repayment plans. FHA, VA, USDA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac each have published guidelines that servicers must follow for loans they own or guarantee.

Getting the Plan in Writing

Always get your repayment plan agreement in writing before you begin making plan payments. The written agreement should specify the plan duration, the total monthly payment amount during the plan, the consequences of missing a plan payment, and the date on which the plan expires if you successfully complete it.

What Happens If You Miss a Repayment Plan Payment?

Missing a payment under a repayment plan can result in the plan being terminated. If the plan is terminated due to non-payment, you typically revert to your previous default status, and the servicer may proceed with or resume foreclosure action. If you realize you will not be able to make a plan payment, contact your servicer immediately — before missing the payment — to discuss your options.

When a Modification Might Be a Better Option

If your original monthly payment remains unaffordable even after your temporary hardship has passed, a repayment plan will not solve the underlying problem. In that case, a loan modification — which permanently reduces your payment — is more appropriate. Many servicers will consider a modification instead of or in addition to a repayment plan depending on your circumstances.