Joint HELOC for Unmarried Partners: The Complete Guide

Quick Answer: Yes, unmarried couples can get a HELOC together. Both partners typically need to be on the property title. The bigger question isn't whether you can — it's how to protect yourselves if things change. Here's what married couples never have to think about.

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Yes, Unmarried Couples Can Get a HELOC Together

Let's clear this up immediately: you don't need a marriage certificate to apply for a HELOC as a couple.

What you do need:

• Both partners on the property title
• Both partners willing to undergo credit checks
• Combined income and assets that qualify

If you own a home together and meet the lender's requirements, your relationship status doesn't disqualify you.

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The Benefits of Applying Together

Higher Credit Line

Two incomes typically qualify for more borrowing power than one. If you both work, your combined debt-to-income ratio improves your approval odds and credit limit.

Shared Responsibility

Both partners are invested — literally — in managing the debt responsibly. This can be healthier than one person carrying all the financial burden.

Both Build (or Protect) Credit

Both borrowers get the HELOC on their credit reports. Managed well, this can help both credit scores.

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The Risks You Must Discuss First

Here's where unmarried couples face challenges married couples don't.

Joint Liability = Both Fully Responsible

When you co-sign a HELOC, you're not each responsible for half. You're each responsible for all of it.

If your partner stops paying, the lender can come after you for the entire balance. If you stop paying, they can go after your partner.

This is true for married couples too — but divorce courts can assign responsibility. Without marriage, there's no automatic legal process for splitting debts.

No Automatic Property Division

If married couples divorce, courts divide property (including debt) according to state law. Unmarried couples have no such protection.

If you split up:

• The HELOC doesn't automatically go to whoever keeps the house
• Both names stay on the loan until it's paid off or refinanced
• You can't force your ex-partner to refinance
• You're both still liable regardless of who lives there

Breaking Up Is Complicated

Married couples have an entire legal framework for separation. Unmarried couples have... whatever they planned in advance.

Without documentation:

• Who pays the HELOC if one person moves out?
• Who gets the equity if you sell?
• What if one person wants to sell and the other doesn't?
• What happens to the HELOC if one partner dies?

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How to Protect Yourselves: The Cohabitation Agreement

Before applying jointly, have a conversation — and put it in writing.

A cohabitation agreement (also called a living together agreement or domestic partnership agreement) covers:

Property Ownership

• How is the home titled? (Joint tenants? Tenants in common?)
• What percentage does each partner own?
• How is equity split if you sell?

Debt Responsibility

• Who pays the HELOC monthly?
• If one person pays more, do they get more equity?
• What happens if one person can't pay?

Exit Strategy

• If you split, does one person buy out the other?
• What's the timeline for selling or refinancing?
• Who stays in the home during transition?
• How do you handle a situation where one person wants to sell and the other doesn't?

Death or Incapacity

• What happens to the HELOC obligation if one partner dies?
• Is there life insurance to cover the balance?

Yes, this conversation is awkward. Have it anyway. It's much more awkward to figure this out during a breakup.

An attorney can draft a cohabitation agreement for $500-$1,500 — a small price for clarity.

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Title Options: Joint Tenants vs. Tenants in Common

How you hold title matters for HELOCs and for what happens if you split or one partner dies.

Joint Tenants with Right of Survivorship

• Equal ownership (50/50)
• If one dies, the other automatically gets full ownership
• Common for married couples
• Simpler, but assumes equal contribution

Tenants in Common

• Ownership can be unequal (60/40, 70/30, etc.)
• Each person can leave their share to anyone (not automatically to co-owner)
• More flexible if contributions are unequal
• Requires more documentation/planning

For unmarried couples: Tenants in common often makes more sense if one partner contributed more to the down payment or pays more toward the mortgage.

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The One-Applicant Option

You don't have to apply together. One partner can apply alone if:

• They're the only one on title (or can qualify solo)
• Their income alone supports the credit line needed
• You want to keep debt obligations separate

Pros:

• Simpler if relationship status changes
• One person's credit issues don't affect approval
• Cleaner separation of obligations

Cons:

• May qualify for less (one income)
• One person carries all the risk
• Other partner has no ownership stake in the debt

Some couples prefer this simplicity even when both are on title. The non-borrowing partner would still need to sign certain documents (since the home is collateral), but wouldn't be liable for the debt.

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Questions to Ask Each Other Before Applying

Have this conversation before you visit a lender:

1. Are we both on the title? If not, should we be?
2. How will we split the monthly payment? Proportional to income? 50/50? Something else?
3. What if one of us loses income? Is the other prepared to cover payments temporarily?
4. What's our plan if we break up? Who keeps the house? How fast must we resolve the HELOC?
5. Do we need a cohabitation agreement? (Strongly recommended)
6. What if one of us dies? Is there life insurance to cover the balance?

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What Lenders Look At

When you apply jointly, lenders evaluate:

Both Credit Scores

• Most lenders use the lower middle score
• One partner's poor credit can hurt the joint application
• Consider whether applying solo makes more sense if scores differ significantly

Combined Income

• Both W-2s, tax returns, and income documentation
• Self-employed? Both need documentation

Combined Debts

• All debts from both partners factor into DTI
• Student loans, car payments, credit cards — everything counts

Property Title

• Both applicants typically must be on title
• If only one is on title, only that person can be the borrower

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The Application Process

1. Confirm title — Are both names on the deed?
2. Check both credit reports — Know what lenders will see
3. Gather income docs — W-2s, pay stubs, tax returns for both
4. Apply together — Both partners complete the application
5. Both sign disclosures — Required for joint applicants
6. Both sign at closing — The HELOC is in both names

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Common Questions

Can my partner be on the HELOC if they're not on the title?

Usually no. Most lenders require all borrowers to be property owners. You'd need to add them to title first — which has its own implications (gift tax, ownership rights).

What if we get married later?

Nothing changes with the HELOC. It stays in both names as structured. Marriage doesn't require you to modify the loan.

What if one of us has bad credit?

Consider having only the partner with better credit apply. The lower-score partner's credit drags down joint applications at most lenders.

Can we remove one person from the HELOC later?

Only by refinancing into a new HELOC (or paying it off). You can't simply remove a borrower from an existing loan.

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Your Next Step

Getting a HELOC as an unmarried couple is straightforward — the paperwork is the easy part.

The important part is the conversation: How do you protect each other and yourselves?

Have that talk. Consider a cohabitation agreement. Then apply with confidence.

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Ready to Apply Together?

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No judgment, no awkward questions — just straightforward home equity access.

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Last updated: February 2026