The home after a death

To receive certain information about the mortgage account, you should contact the mortgage servicer. You may need to show the mortgage servicer proof of your right to the home.

In the case of inheritance from someone who has died, that proof might include a copy of the executed will and the death certificate or a letter from the executor of the deceased person’s estate.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau · general information · checked October 16, 2026

A servicer must maintain policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the servicer can retain this information and promptly facilitate communication with potential successors in interest when a servicer is notified of their existence.

A servicer is not required to conduct a search for potential successors in interest if the servicer has not received actual notice of their existence.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau · general information · checked October 16, 2026

Reverse mortgage loans typically must be repaid, usually by selling the home, when the last borrower dies. However, non-borrowing spouses may be able to stay in the home if they meet certain criteria.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau · general information · checked October 16, 2026

Property taxes and insurance on the property remain the responsibility of the borrower’s estate until title is transferred.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development · general information · checked October 16, 2026

• Debts after a death →
• Transfer on death deeds →
• Probate, and what passes outside it →
• What to do when someone dies: the first hours, the first weeks and after →
• The End of Life Planner →