GUIDE

PMI Cancellation Letter: Free Template That Checks Every Box

Your right to cancel PMI at 80% of original value only activates with a written request: that's the law's actual mechanism. One page does it. Here's a template that hits every requirement, followed by what to expect after you send it.

Before you send: confirm your balance is at or below 80% of your home's original value (the lesser of purchase price or original appraisal), and that you're current with a clean recent payment history. Not sure you qualify? Run the 60-second check first; no point mailing a letter that bounces off the requirements.

The template

PMI cancellation request: copy & paste

[Date] [Servicer Name] Attn: PMI Cancellation Department / Escrow Department [Servicer address: see "where to send" below] Re: Written request for PMI cancellation, Loan #[your loan number] Property address: [address] To whom it may concern: Pursuant to the Homeowners Protection Act of 1998, I am submitting this written request to cancel the private mortgage insurance on the above-referenced loan. My principal balance has reached 80% or less of the property's original value. I am current on my payments and my payment history meets the Act's good-payment-history standard. To my knowledge, the property's value has not declined below its original value, and there are no subordinate liens on the property. Please confirm in writing: (1) receipt of this request, (2) any documentation or valuation you require to complete cancellation, including any cost and how it is ordered, and (3) the date PMI will be removed from my payment. If your records indicate my loan reached the 78% automatic-termination threshold prior to this request, please also provide the termination date your records show and a refund of any premiums collected after that date. Sincerely, [Name(s) as they appear on the loan] [Phone · Email]

That last paragraph is doing quiet extra work: if the servicer's own records show you already passed the automatic trigger, you've just requested your refund in the same letter.

Where to send it

Not the payment address. Look for the "qualified written request" / correspondence address on your statement or the servicer's website; requests sent there carry response-time obligations. Send it in a way that produces proof (certified mail, or the servicer's secure message center with a saved copy). Keep everything.

What happens next

The servicer may require evidence the home's value hasn't declined (sometimes a BPO or appraisal at your cost) and confirmation that there are no subordinate liens, like a HELOC or second mortgage. Ask for the cost and process in writing before agreeing.
Expect an answer in writing. If approved, PMI comes off and any unearned premiums must be returned to you.
If denied, the denial must generally tell you why. The common legitimate reasons: not actually at 80% of original value (people often accidentally use current value here: different path, different rules), payment-history issues, or a junior lien.
If the denial doesn't add up, escalate in writing, and know that the CFPB complaint portal exists and servicers generally answer it quickly.

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Educational content, not legal or financial advice. Requirements vary by servicer and investor.