One in 20 people in Scotland are paying their rent or mortgage using credit, according to the Debt Advisory Centre.
The service said 5.5% of householders they surveyed revealed they used payday loans or credit card cash advances to pay their rent or mortgage in February, up from 3% in August last year.
The figure is equivalent to more than 290,000 people having to borrow to keep the roof over their heads, the debt help provider said.
Spokesman Ian Williams said: "It's always worrying to hear that people are relying on credit to pay for an essential outgoing like their home, but learning that the number doing so has risen so significantly in such a short space of time is a real cause for concern.
"Rent or mortgage payments are a priority bill. If you have to borrow money to pay them it is a big warning sign that your finances are out of control and you should seek expert money advice."
The OnePoll survey questioned 1,822 UK adults between February 25 and March 7, of whom 329 were resident in Scotland.
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