11/27/2025
Why are rental mortgage rates higher?
It all comes down to risk vs reward for the lender.
With a minimum down payment on an owner-occupied home, the loan is default insured, meaning the lender is protected, not the homeowner.
💸 Less risk = lower rate.
Once you have 20% down or more, the loan is no longer insured, so lenders bump the rate slightly to offset the added risk.
And for rental properties, that risk goes up again.
What if it’s vacant? What if a tenant damages it or stops paying rent?
Those scenarios increase the chance of missed payments and that means higher risk for the lender, which means higher rates for you.
📌 Save this if you’re thinking about buying an investment property.
📩 Message me if you'd like to run some pre-approval numbers!