Hardship Letter Generator
Answer six questions. Get a professional hardship letter you can send to your servicer today.
What caused your financial hardship?
When did this hardship begin?
Who is your mortgage servicer?
Your servicer is the company you send your mortgage payment to. It may be different from the company that gave you the loan.
What is your loan number?
Optional — including it helps your servicer locate your account. You'll find it on your mortgage statement.
What are you asking your servicer for?
Briefly describe what happened
Two to three sentences about your situation. This becomes the heart of your letter.
Why You Need a Hardship Letter
When you apply for forbearance, a loan modification, or any other loss mitigation option, your mortgage servicer will ask for a hardship letter. It's your chance to explain — in your own words — what happened, how it affected your ability to pay, and what you're asking for.
A clear, professional letter can make the difference between approval and denial. Servicers process thousands of applications. Letters that are specific, honest, and well-organized get better results.
This tool walks you through six questions and generates a letter template you can customize and send. It follows the format recommended by HUD-approved housing counselors.
What to Send With Your Letter
Your hardship letter is one part of a complete loss mitigation application. Most servicers also require:
- Pay stubs — last 30 days of income for all borrowers
- Bank statements — 2 to 3 months, all accounts
- Tax returns — last 2 years (1040 with all schedules)
- Proof of hardship — layoff notice, medical bills, divorce decree, or other documentation
- Financial worksheet — your servicer's form or our DTI calculator
Under Regulation X, your servicer must acknowledge your complete application within 5 business days and evaluate you for all available options before proceeding with foreclosure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my information collected or shared?
Your entries may be sent to American Default Research so we can understand where people stop, improve the tool, and help when someone asks to be contacted. We do not sell your information.
What is a hardship letter?
A hardship letter explains to your mortgage servicer why you can't make payments and what relief you're requesting. It's a required part of most loss mitigation applications — for forbearance, loan modification, repayment plans, and other options.
Do I need a lawyer to write a hardship letter?
No. Most borrowers write their own hardship letters. This tool helps you structure the letter professionally. However, if you're facing foreclosure or have a complex situation, a HUD-approved housing counselor (free) or attorney can review your letter.
What should I include with my hardship letter?
Most servicers require supporting documents: recent pay stubs (30 days), bank statements (2-3 months), tax returns (2 years), a completed financial worksheet, and proof of the hardship (medical bills, layoff notice, divorce decree, etc.).
How long should a hardship letter be?
One page is ideal. Servicers review thousands of letters — be specific and concise. State what happened, when it happened, how it affected your ability to pay, what you're asking for, and why you can sustain the new arrangement.