What Credit Score Do You Need for a HELOC on a Rental Property?

The credit score you need for a HELOC on a rental property depends on how much of its value you want to borrow against. On the programs we price most often as of October 2026, the top tier, up to 90% combined loan-to-value (CLTV), generally needs a score around 720 or higher, the mid-80s open up around 700, and scores in the 640s can still qualify on at least one program at about 75% or lower. Lower leverage generally prices better at every score.

Most HELOC articles give a single minimum score, often in the high 600s to low 700s, and that number assumes a primary home. Rental lines have no single cutoff: each step up in leverage needs a higher score.

Modern Home Lending is an independent mortgage broker in Scottsdale, licensed in Arizona, Colorado, Florida and Georgia. We shop investment property HELOCs across the lenders on our panel. The tiers below describe a single-family rental (one unit). Duplexes and condos often run lower or are not eligible at all, and every program has its own overlays.

What credit score do you need for a HELOC on a rental property?

On the programs we price most often, rental lines start in the 640s, and the score you need rises with every step up in leverage.

Here is how those programs line up, rounded so it stays useful as programs shift:

These bands are as of October 2026 and are not an approval. Each program sets its own limits by property type, loan size, income and debt-to-income ratio.

One more thing the table cannot show: the 90% tier is real, but it costs substantially more than borrowing less. If you do not need the full 90%, price the line at 80% or below as well. The trade-off between a bigger line and a better price is usually worth seeing side by side.

How does your credit score change how much you can borrow?

Your score sets the CLTV ceiling, and the ceiling sets the size of your line.

Lenders cap the total debt on the property, your existing mortgage plus the new line, at a percentage of its value. That percentage is the combined loan-to-value. Here is a worked example on a $500,000 rental with $300,000 still owed on the first mortgage:

This example is for illustration only. Same property, same mortgage, and the available line doubles between the 75% and 90% ceilings. That gap is why a few points of credit score can matter so much on a rental.

You can run your own property through our investment property HELOC calculator, the "How much equity can you pull from your rental?" tool. Enter the property value and what you still owe, then slide the CLTV ceiling between 50% and 90% to see the total debt allowed and your estimated available equity at each tier.

What can you do with a credit score in the 640s?

You can still get a rental line in the 640s on at least one program on our panel, at about 75% combined loan-to-value or lower.

That is a narrower lane than the one above 680. Fewer lenders play there, pricing is higher, and income and debt rules tend to be tighter. If your rental has plenty of equity, 75% may be all you need. On the $500,000 example above, that is still a $75,000 line.

Your qualifying path matters too. Different paths (full income documentation, bank statements, or rent-based DSCR) carry different score and CLTV limits, so the right path can matter as much as the score. If write-offs keep your taxable income low, read do tax write-offs hurt your mortgage approval.

Below the 640s, a HELOC on the rental gets hard to place, and other paths often fit better. A cash-out refinance on the rental, including a DSCR rental loan that qualifies on the property's rent, runs on different credit rules. So does a HELOC on your primary home, if that is where your equity sits; the primary-home HELOC calculator shows what that line could look like. We will tell you which one fits before anyone pulls your credit.

Does a co-applicant's higher credit score help?

On one program it can; on most programs it does not.

On one program on our panel, the higher of two applicants' scores can set the line size and pricing, as long as both applicants meet that program's minimum. Other programs we work with commonly use the lower of the two scores.

Applying together also means both applicants' income and debts are counted, which can help or hurt the debt-to-income ratio. We can price it both ways so you see the difference before you decide.

Which credit score do HELOC lenders actually use?

Many second-lien programs pull all three credit bureaus and use the middle score, but some read a single bureau's score instead.

Either way, the number in your banking app may not match. Consumer apps often show a VantageScore, and lenders may use a different model or a different bureau.

Our guide to how credit scores work for a mortgage explains the models and why your scores can differ by bureau. You can also check what each bureau has on file for free using the CFPB's guide to getting your free credit reports.

How can you move up a credit tier?

The fastest lever is often the amount you borrow, not your score.

• Borrow a little less. Dropping from 85% to 75% CLTV can open more programs and better pricing at the same score.
• Lower your card balances. Paying down revolving balances before you apply may help your score, since balances relative to limits are a large part of most scoring models. Results vary, and no one can promise a specific score change.
• Check your reports for errors. A wrong late payment or an account that is not yours is worth disputing before you apply.
• Time the application. If a recent late payment or new account is weighing on your score, waiting a few months may move you up a band.

Why did my bank say no even with good credit?

Usually because the bank does not offer HELOCs on investment properties at all, so your score never mattered.

Many banks and credit unions stopped offering equity lines on rentals years ago. We explain the full story in why your bank will not give you a HELOC on your rental property. The programs above are wholesale programs that work through brokers like us, and the full lineup is on our investment property HELOC page.

What is the fastest way to find your tier?

Start with your numbers, not a credit pull.

Run your property value and balance through the rental equity calculator on our investment HELOC page to see what each CLTV ceiling gives you. Then send us your approximate score range and we will match it to the programs that fit, with no SSN or credit check required for the estimate. We price the panel side by side and show you the trade-off between a bigger line and a better price.

Modern Lending, LLC DBA Modern Home Lending, NMLS 1738930. Licensed in Arizona, Colorado, Florida and Georgia. Program details are as of October 2026 and can change without notice. This is not a commitment to lend. All loans are subject to credit approval, property eligibility and program guidelines.