Citi exited most retail mortgage servicing in 2017 — your loan was likely transferred to Cenlar, NewRez, or a different subservicer. Here's how to find out who actually services your loan and what your real options are.
The "waterfall" is the order in which Citi (CitiMortgage) reviews options when a borrower asks for help. Knowing the order — and what each option actually delivers — tells you what to ask for and what to push back on.
If your statement shows Cenlar, NewRez, Shellpoint, or another name — that company runs the loss mit, not Citi.
If Citi-serviced: arrears spread over 3–6 months.
Citi-retained portfolio loans use shorter forbearance windows than typical GSE servicers.
Citi's portfolio modifications are case-by-case — there is no rigid GSE waterfall for non-securitized Citi-owned loans. This can be an advantage.
Available, but expect longer review times due to lower volume.
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Every servicer has its own quirks. The patterns below are what trips up homeowners who try to navigate Citi (CitiMortgage) alone.
The single most common mistake: calling Citi when your loan is now serviced by NewRez or Cenlar. They literally cannot help you. Find your statement first.
Even when a loan was 'sold' from Citi, sometimes Citi retained the loan and only contracted out servicing. The decision-maker is whoever owns the loan, not whoever you write the check to.
Citi-retained loans go through smaller, more deliberate teams. Allow 60–90 days for any decision.
If your servicer transferred during a loss mit application, federal RESPA protections require the new servicer to recognize the in-process application — but you must affirmatively re-assert it in writing within 60 days.
If a sale date has been scheduled, you have a narrow window to act. Here's the sequence we follow:
A first denial is not the end. Most successful modifications are approved on appeal or after a Notice of Error is filed under RESPA Section 6.
Start with your latest mortgage statement. Citi left most of the mortgage servicing business years ago, so the company that answers the phone about your payments may not be Citi at all.
Here is what we could confirm:
We did not find a Citi-published hardship phone number we could verify, so we are not listing one here.
Your monthly statement is the final word. The servicer name, phone number, and mailing address printed on your most recent statement or on a transfer letter are the ones that apply to your loan. Use those over any number you find online, including this page. Scammers often pose as servicers, so never pay a fee to anyone who promises to "save" your home (see foreclosure scams to avoid).
Whoever services your Citi loan will usually ask for the same core package. Having it ready before you call can cut weeks off the review.
| Document | Why they ask |
|---|---|
| Mortgage assistance application (often Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac Form 710 or the servicer's own form) | Your income, expenses, and what kind of help you want |
| Hardship letter or statement | What happened, when it started, and whether it is short-term or long-term |
| Proof of income (recent pay stubs, benefit award letters, or profit-and-loss statement if self-employed) | Shows what payment you can afford now |
| Recent bank statements (usually the last two) | Confirms income deposits and savings |
| Tax return and/or IRS Form 4506-C | Lets them verify income with the IRS |
| Hardship proof if it applies (divorce decree, death certificate, job-loss or transfer letter) | Backs up the reason you fell behind |
Cenlar's loan assistance page says it may ask for pay stubs, tax returns, award or pension letters, and bank statements, and that some streamlined options may need fewer documents. Options it lists include repayment plans, forbearance, loan modification, payment deferral, and ways to leave the home such as a short sale or deed in lieu. For a step-by-step walkthrough, see how to apply for a loan modification.
Tips that save weeks:
Because Citi sold or handed off its servicing. In January 2017, Citi announced it would leave mortgage servicing by the end of 2018. It sold the servicing rights on about 780,000 loans to New Residential Investment Corp., with Nationstar (later Mr. Cooper) handling those loans day to day. Cenlar took over servicing for loans Citi kept for its bank customers.
Those companies have changed since. New Residential renamed itself Rithm Capital in 2022, and its servicing arm is Newrez. Mr. Cooper was bought by Rocket Companies in October 2025. So an old CitiMortgage loan may have changed hands more than once. If yours went to Newrez, our Newrez foreclosure help page covers that servicer.
A transfer changes who you pay and who you talk to. It does not change your loan terms, your interest rate, or the amount you owe. Federal law (RESPA Section 6 and Regulation X §1024.33) gives you these protections:
If you get a transfer letter while you are asking for help, save it, write down the date, and call the new servicer to confirm they have your full file.
Sources (checked 2026-09-26):
Citi announced in 2017 that it would stop servicing mortgages by the end of 2018. It sold servicing on most loans to New Residential (now Rithm Capital) and arranged for Cenlar to subservice loans it kept for its bank customers. Your monthly statement names the company that services your loan today.
Cenlar is a subservicer. It handles payments, escrow, statements, and hardship requests for loans owned by banks like Citi. If Cenlar's name is on your statement, send your mortgage assistance request to Cenlar using the contact details printed there.
Usually not. Under Regulation X, a pending assistance application must be passed to the new servicer, which must handle it within the original timelines. Call the new servicer to confirm they received your full file, and keep copies of everything you sent.
For 60 days after a servicing transfer, federal law says a payment sent on time to the old servicer cannot be treated as late for any purpose. After that window, make sure payments go only to the new servicer.
A HUD-approved housing counselor can help at no cost. Call 1-800-569-4287 to find one. For legal questions about a foreclosure filing, talk to a local foreclosure attorney.
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