Deferring a Mortgage Payment for One Month: What Actually Happens
Deferring one month of mortgage payments is possible, but it is not automatic and the deferred amount does not disappear
You can ask your lender to defer a mortgage payment, meaning you skip paying that month and add the amount to the end of your loan. Your lender is not required to say yes—it depends on your loan type, your payment history, and whether you meet their specific conditions. If they approve the deferral, you will owe that skipped payment later, usually by extending your loan term by one month or adding it to your final balloon payment.
The key difference between deferral and forgiveness: a deferral postpones the payment; it does not erase it. You are borrowing against your own future to buy time now. Lenders are most likely to approve a deferral if you have been paying on time, have substantial equity in the home, and can show a temporary hardship—a job loss, medical emergency, or income interruption that you expect to recover from within weeks or months.
Key Takeaways
- Deferral means you skip one payment and owe it later; the amount is added to your loan balance or loan term, not forgiven.
- Conventional loans, FHA loans, and VA loans each have different deferral rules, and you must contact your lender to request it before the payment is due.
- Your lender will review your payment history and current financial situation; approval is not may provide and depends on their policy.
- A deferred payment may still be reported to credit bureaus if you miss the original due date, even if your lender has agreed to defer it in writing.
- Deferral is temporary relief; the money you owe does not vanish, and you will pay it back through a longer loan term or a lump sum at the end.
How deferral works with different loan types
Conventional loans (not backed by a government agency) have no federal deferral requirement. Whether your lender allows it depends entirely on their own policy. Some will defer one payment; others will not defer any. Call your lender's loss mitigation or loan servicing department and ask directly whether they offer payment deferral and what their conditions are.
FHA loans (insured by the Federal Housing Administration) allow lenders to defer up to one month of payments if you are current on your loan or fewer than 30 days behind. The deferred amount is usually added to the end of your loan, extending the payoff date by one month. You must request this before the payment is due or within a short window after.
VA loans (for may be able to access veterans) permit deferral if you are current on payments or only slightly behind. The VA does not require lenders to offer it, but many do. The deferred payment is typically added to your loan balance or tacked onto the end of your term.
USDA loans (for rural borrowers) allow one-time deferral of a payment if you are current. The amount rolls into your next payment or is added to your loan term.
What you need to do to request a deferral
Contact your loan servicer—the company that collects your monthly payment, not necessarily the bank that originated the loan. You can find the servicer's phone number on your monthly statement or in your loan documents. Call their loss mitigation or customer service department and ask to speak with someone about payment deferral options.
Be ready to explain your situation: why you need to skip this month, whether the hardship is temporary, and when you expect to resume normal payments. Lenders are more likely to approve deferral for a one-time, short-term problem than for ongoing financial strain. Have your loan number and account information ready.
Ask your servicer three specific questions: (1) Do you offer payment deferral? (2) What are your conditions—do I need to be current, or can I be behind? (3) If approved, how will the deferred amount be handled—added to my next payment, added to my loan term, or something else? Get the answer in writing before you skip the payment.
What happens to your credit if you defer a payment
If your lender approves the deferral in advance and you have a written agreement, the skipped payment should not be reported as late to the credit bureaus. However, if you miss the payment without prior approval and then ask for deferral afterward, it may already be reported as 30 days late, which damages your credit score.
The timing matters: request deferral before the due date, not after. Once a payment is reported as late, removing that report from your credit history is difficult, even if your lender later agrees to defer it. If you are unsure whether you can make the payment, call your servicer at least a week early.
Some servicers will agree to defer a payment retroactively and ask the credit bureaus to remove the late report, but this is not may provide. Prevention is simpler than repair: get approval in writing before the due date.
The cost of deferring a payment
Deferring a payment does not cost you an extra fee in most cases, but it does cost you time and interest. If the deferred amount is added to your loan term, you will pay one additional month of interest on your entire remaining balance. If it is added to your loan balance, you will pay interest on that amount for the rest of the loan.
For example, if your monthly payment is $1,200 and you defer it, that $1,200 is added to what you owe. Over the remaining life of a 30-year loan, you will pay interest on that $1,200 at your loan's interest rate. The total extra cost depends on your rate and how much of the loan remains.
Some lenders charge a deferral fee—typically $100 to $300—though many do not. Ask your servicer whether there is a fee before you agree to defer.
Alternatives if deferral is not available
If your lender does not offer deferral or you do not meet their conditions, other options exist. Loan modification is a permanent change to your loan terms—lower interest rate, longer term, or both—that reduces your monthly payment going forward. This takes longer to process than deferral but provides lasting relief if you are in financial hardship.
Forbearance is a temporary pause on payments, usually for three to six months, during which you do not pay but also do not fall behind. Interest still accrues, and you owe the full amount at the end of the forbearance period, but it buys time without a late report. Forbearance is more common for FHA and VA loans than for conventional loans.
Refinancing replaces your current loan with a new one, usually at a lower rate or with a longer term. This requires a new application and approval, and you must have sufficient equity and income to may have access to. It is not a quick fix but can lower your payment permanently.
If you are facing a one-time cash shortage, ask your servicer whether they offer a partial payment plan: you pay part of the month's payment now and the rest within a set number of days. This keeps you current without deferring the full amount.
What to do if your deferral request is denied
If your lender denies deferral, ask why. The reason matters: if you are behind on payments, they may require you to catch up first. If your loan is not may be able to access (some portfolio loans held by small lenders have no deferral option), you may need to explore modification or refinancing instead.
Request a written explanation of the denial and ask whether any other options are available. Some servicers will offer forbearance when they will not defer, or they may agree to a partial deferral of half the payment instead of the full amount.
If you believe your servicer has treated you unfairly, you can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) at consumerfinance.gov. The CFPB investigates complaints about mortgage servicers and can pressure them to reconsider.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deferring one payment hurt my credit score?
Not if you get written approval before the due date. If you miss the payment without approval first, it will be reported as late and damage your score. Always request deferral in advance, not after you have already missed the payment.
Can I defer more than one month?
Most lenders allow only one-month deferral at a time. If you need longer relief, ask about forbearance (temporary pause) or loan modification (permanent change to your terms). Some programs allow multiple deferrals over time, but this varies by lender.
What if I defer a payment and then lose my job?
Tell your servicer immediately. A deferral is meant for temporary hardship, and if your situation worsens, you may be able to move into forbearance or modification instead. Hiding the problem only delays help and makes it harder to catch up later.
Does the deferred payment get added to my next month's payment or to the end of my loan?
It depends on your lender's policy. Some add it to your next payment (so you owe two payments the following month), others extend your loan by one month, and some add it to your loan balance. Ask your servicer which method they use before you defer.
Can I defer a payment on a second mortgage or home equity line of credit?
Deferral rules for second mortgages and HELOCs are stricter than for first mortgages. Many lenders do not offer it at all. Call your servicer and ask; if they refuse, forbearance or modification may be options instead.