Written mortgage-servicing request that identifies the account and details an asserted error, requested information, or both.
A qualified written request (QWR) is written correspondence to a mortgage servicer that identifies the borrower and account and details a servicing error, requested servicing information, or both.
QWR remains a current RESPA and Regulation X term. A QWR that asserts a covered servicing error is treated as a Notice of Error, while a QWR that seeks servicing information is treated as a Request for Information.
A phone call may solve a routine question, but a detailed written request creates a documented process with acknowledgment and response duties for covered requests. It can help a borrower challenge payment application, escrow administration, fees, servicing transfers, payoff information, or other servicing issues.
The correspondence must be specific enough for the servicer to understand the error or information sought. A broad demand for “everything in the file” may be overbroad, and a complaint about loan origination or underwriting may fall outside mortgage servicing.
Sending the request to the correct address is critical. A servicer may designate an exclusive address for Notices of Error, Requests for Information, and QWRs. The payment address is not automatically the designated request address.
| Element | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Borrower’s name | Identifies who is making the request |
| Mortgage account information | Enables the servicer to locate the correct loan |
| Specific error and reasons | Explains what servicing action appears wrong |
| Specific information requested | Identifies the records or explanation sought |
| Property address and contact details | Helps distinguish the account and route the response |
A QWR should not be written on a payment coupon or other payment form supplied by the servicer. The borrower should retain a complete copy and proof showing when and where it was sent.
QWR is a post-closing servicing tool. It generally concerns the receipt of periodic payments and the servicer’s handling of principal, interest, escrow, fees, and related account administration.
Typical issues include:
It is not the normal tool for disputing the appraised value, challenging the original underwriting decision, or requesting a new loan modification decision.
For covered requests, the servicer generally must acknowledge receipt within five days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and federal legal holidays. The servicer generally must respond within 30 business days, although some requests have shorter periods and a qualifying extension of up to 15 business days may be available with notice.
Different timelines, exceptions, and limits can apply based on the request, account status, and when the request is sent. The borrower should not assume that sending a QWR suspends payment duties, foreclosure deadlines, or a scheduled sale.
A borrower made the January payment through the servicer’s online portal, but the February statement shows the payment in suspense and adds a late fee. The borrower sends a QWR to the servicer’s designated address identifying the account, attaching payment confirmation, explaining the asserted payment-application error, and requesting the transaction history.
Because the letter both asserts an error and requests information, the servicer treats the relevant portions under the Notice of Error and Request for Information procedures.
A QWR differs from a Notice of Error because QWR is a defined form of servicing correspondence that may assert an error, request information, or do both. A Notice of Error focuses specifically on a covered servicing mistake.
It differs from a Request for Information because an RFI only needs to identify the account and state the mortgage information requested. It need not satisfy every element associated with the statutory QWR label.
It differs from a Payoff Statement because a payoff statement supplies the amount needed to satisfy the mortgage as of a date. Payoff requests follow their own timing treatment.
It also differs from a Loss Mitigation Appeal because an appeal challenges a covered loan-modification denial. A QWR addresses servicing errors or information.