Who can act as a rental guarantor and how to compare guarantor services

Katerina Galkina · EN · 07/10/2026

What a guarantor actually guarantees

A guarantor signs a legal obligation to pay on a tenant's behalf in the circumstances specified in the document. This may cover rent arrears, damage or other stated costs. A guarantee is more than a character reference: payment can be demanded and court action is possible. Shelter explains how guarantees work ↗.

Being a friend or relative does not automatically limit liability. Before agreeing, the guarantor should receive both the tenancy agreement and guarantor agreement, read them together and retain signed copies.

Who qualifies

There is no universal rule that every guarantor must be British. An agent sets its assessment criteria, such as income, credit history, UK residence and sometimes homeownership. Ask for the specific criteria in writing and whether someone overseas is acceptable. Do not buy a commercial guarantee until the landlord has confirmed that it will be accepted.

For English tenancies, an agent cannot charge an additional fee for checking a guarantor or preparing a guarantee. A commercial service you voluntarily choose may nevertheless charge you. The Tenant Fees Act guidance ↗ explains prohibited payments and restrictions on compulsory services. Check local rules elsewhere in the UK.

Which terms need particular attention

Ask for the maximum liability, duration, claim procedure and termination conditions to be stated. Establish whether the guarantee covers rent increases, changes of housemates or subsequent agreements. Following the English tenancy reforms, an old guarantee linked to a fixed term needs individual consideration. Do not assume that it has automatically ended or lasts indefinitely.

For a joint tenancy, a guarantee may cover the entire shared debt even if the guarantor is helping only one occupant. If the intention is to guarantee one person's share, that limitation must be clearly agreed in the document. Independent legal review before signing is useful where the wording is uncertain.

If you need a commercial service

Compare more than the initial fee: consider annual renewal, refunds if the letting falls through, amounts covered and exclusions. Ask whether the service will recover from you any money it pays to the landlord. A guarantee does not usually mean that your debt disappears.

Check the company's legal identity, contract and complaints route. If money is limited, ask the council, a charity or your university about rent guarantee schemes; eligibility depends on the scheme. Do not assume that a large advance payment is an alternative: ordinary English APTs are subject to current rent in advance restrictions ↗.