What lenders scrutinize is whether you genuinely occupied the home when you took the loan, and living there first, then converting later, holds up fine. When you opened the HELOC, you certified owner-occupancy as of that moment. Occupancy statements are about your intent at the time. Genuinely living in the home and later turning it into a rental is a normal life change, and it does not undo what you certified. Our personal comfort line: occupy the home as your primary residence for a reasonable stretch, on the order of at least six months, before converting. Past that point we would not lose sleep over it. Converting within roughly sixty days of taking the HELOC is the scenario that would give us pause, because that timeline can look like you never intended to occupy at all. The pattern itself is common and rarely questioned. Plenty of buyers draw a HELOC on their current home to fund the down payment on the next one, move into the new home as their primary residence, and no lender on the new loan blinks. What draws attention is certifying owner-occupancy on the HELOC and moving out almost immediately, so this comes down to timing. Your occupancy terms live in your specific loan documents. Read them, and if your timing is tight, confirm your situation with the lender before you convert.