Can a cosigner lose their house?

Asked by: Melisa Turcotte I  |  Last update: July 5, 2025
Score: 4.6/5 (39 votes)

Your liability for the loan may prevent you from getting credit, even if the main borrower pays on time and you aren't asked to repay the loan. Lenders will consider the loan you cosigned as your obligation. You could lose any property you offer to secure the loan.

Does a co-signer have rights to the property?

Being a cosigner does not give you rights to the property. A cosigner has no title or ownership in the property secured for the loan. Additionally, a cosigner has no legal right to occupy a home as a primary or secondary residence, unlike the primary signer/borrower.

Can a co-signer remove themselves from a mortgage?

You can remove yourself as a co-signer, but it's not always easy. When you ask for a co-signer release, it's common to get turned down. When you co-sign a loan, you're taking on full responsibility for that financial obligation, along with the primary borrower.

How do I protect myself as a cosigner?

5 ways to protect yourself as a co-signer
  1. Serve as a co-signer only for close friends or relatives. One of loan co-signing's biggest risks is potential damage to your credit score. ...
  2. Keep copies of all the loan documents. ...
  3. Create a contract. ...
  4. Track monthly payments. ...
  5. Ensure you can afford payments.

What are the cons of cosigning a house?

Here are the ways co-signing may impact your finances.
  • It can increase your debt-to-income ratio. ...
  • It can affect your credit scores. ...
  • It can leave you responsible for unpaid debt. ...
  • It can damage your relationship with the primary borrower.

When Having a Cosigner is BAD

20 related questions found

How long does a cosigner last?

A co-signer typically stays on a lease for the entire duration of the lease term, which is usually one year for most residential leases. However, the specific duration can vary depending on the terms of the lease agreement and the policies of the landlord or property management company.

Can a cosigner be removed from a loan?

To get a co-signer release you will first need to contact your lender. After contacting them, you can request the release — if the lender offers it. This is just paperwork that removes the co-signer from the loan and places you, the primary borrower, as the sole borrower on the loan.

How much rights does a cosigner have?

No. Cosigning a loan doesn't give you any title, ownership, or other rights to the property the loan is paying for. Your only role is to repay the loan if the main borrower falls behind on the payments or defaults.

Can I legally remove myself as a cosigner?

Fortunately, you can have your name removed, but you will have to take the appropriate steps depending on the cosigned loan type. Basically, you have two options: You can enable the main borrower to assume total control of the debt or you can get rid of the debt entirely.

What power does a cosigner have?

They are equally responsible for the debt and must pay if the borrower does not make payments or defaults on the loan. Who can be a co-signer comes down to credit history and standing. A co-signer must have their income, assets, credit score and debt-to-income ratio in good shape to receive approval.

Can I kick a cosigner out of my house?

Removing a cosigner or co-borrower from a mortgage almost always requires paying off the loan in full or refinancing by getting a new loan in your own name. Under rare circumstances, though, the lender may allow you to take over an existing mortgage from your other signer.

Can you buy someone out of a house without refinancing?

Typically, removing a name from a mortgage could require you to pay off the loan in full or refinance it with a new loan. But, there are alternatives where you can take over the loan without paying off it off or refinancing. These could include mortgage assumption, loan modification and bankruptcy.

Does a cosigner own half the house?

Will I have ownership of the property if I cosign? No, you will not take on ownership if you're only a mortgage cosigner and not an actual co-borrower. As a cosigner, you're only guaranteeing the loan payment. Your name will not be on the title to the property.

Can a cosigner sell your house?

Co-signers guarantee the loan, meaning they'll take over payments if you are unable to make them. They have no ownership interest in the property and can't decide to sell the property if they don't pay the loan.

How to remove a co-signer from a mortgage without refinancing?

5 ways to remove someone from a mortgage without refinancing
  1. Mortgage loan assumption: Transfer the loan to your name. ...
  2. Mortgage loan modification: Change the terms of you loan. ...
  3. Selling the house: Fresh start for both parties. ...
  4. Paying off the mortgage: Eliminating the debt.

Can a cosigner get in trouble?

You are just as liable on the debt as the original borrower.

Sometimes, by a lot. You are saying that the lender can try to get you to pay without first trying to get the borrower to pay. You are saying the lender can sue you if the borrower does not pay. You are tying up your credit.

Can a cosigner take your house?

If the other party stops making payments, as co-owner, you can take possession of the property. This is not the case as a co-signer.

Will removing myself as a cosigner hurt my credit?

Being removed as a cosigner from a loan could potentially hurt your credit scores. How much your scores are impacted depends on the details of your credit profile.

Can I sue someone I cosigned for?

Yes, you can sue the person you co-signed for if they don't make the payments they promised to make. You may be able to get a judgment against them in court, but it could be hard to collect that money since they didn't pay the debt in the first place.

What ownership does a cosigner have?

A cosigner's sole responsibility is ensuring a complete loan repayment. A co-borrower ensures repayment but also helps pay the loan alongside the borrower and possesses property ownership rights. As a cosigner, you don't have property rights. However, you also forgo monthly payment responsibilities.

How can I legally get out of a cosigned loan?

Request release from a co-signed loan

Co-signers can make a written request to the lender to be released from a loan. In certain cases, like some student loans, there may be a provision that allows a co-signer to take their name off a loan.

Can a cosigner go to jail?

However, in certain legal circumstances, the cosigner may face jail time. For example, in a case where the co-signer helped to facilitate the defendant's flight, provided false contact information, or in any way assisted the defendant in evading prosecution.

Can being a cosigner stop you from buying a house?

Co-signing for someone else can impact your ability to get approved for a mortgage because it expands your financial obligation. The co-signed loan becomes part of your overall debt load, increasing your debt-to-income ratio (DTI).

How long does a co-signer stay on a lease?

How Long Does A Cosigner Stay On A Lease? A cosigner remains responsible for the lease's terms for its entire duration. The obligation typically ends when the lease is renewed or a new lease is signed without the cosigner's involvement.

Can a co-signer take your car away?

Cosigners can't take possession of the vehicle they cosign for or remove the primary borrower from the loan since their name isn't on the vehicle's title.