If you’re letting a property or accommodation to students or working professionals – particularly international tenants – you’ll already know how common it is for renters to need a guarantor.
Managing multiple guarantors, assessing risk, and handling default cases can be time-consuming, inconsistent, and stressful.
That’s why many landlords and accommodation providers choose to work with a professional rent
guarantor partner.
But not all guarantor services are created equal.
In this blog, we’ll walk you through the key factors to consider when choosing a guarantor partner, so you can protect your income, support your tenants, and avoid any costly surprises.
At a basic level, a guarantor partner agrees to cover your tenant’s rent if they fall into arrears, provided the tenant has taken out a guarantor agreement with the partner. But the best providers offer more than just risk cover. They can help:
It’s important to understand not just what they do, but how they do it. So here are some considerations to take into account when selecting your guarantor partner.
Let’s start with the most important question:
“What happens if a tenant can’t pay their rent?”
When partnering with a guarantor service, you need complete confidence that your rent will be covered quickly and in full.
Here are some questions to ask:
Housing Hand has maintained a 100% payout on all valid claims, with a clear and simple claims process that gives you peace of mind and prompt resolution.
When tenants are ready to move, adding a slow or clunky guarantor application process into the mix can lead to unnecessary delays, missed lettings, and frustrated tenants.
Here are some questions to ask to help you avoid this:
For landlords and providers managing large numbers of tenants, working with a guarantor service should simplify your process, not add friction.
It’s also worth asking:
Choosing a partner who works with your systems can save your team hours and reduce admin errors.
Happy tenants are retained tenants, so a great guarantor partner should help you to improve the whole lettings experience and keep your building occupied.
Questions to ask:
Housing Hand combines tenant guidance with practical resources, including FAQs, live chat, multilingual support, and even wellbeing services, so tenants stay on track (and in tenancy) for even longer.
Every tenant’s situation is different. Students, young professionals, and international renters often lack a UK-based guarantor, not because they’re unreliable, but because they’re new to the country. There are also many cases where family members cannot act as guarantors to UK residents because of low income or poor credit history.
Questions to ask:
Transparency is essential. Not just for your tenants, but for you too.
You need to know that the tenant is receiving good service and a fair price. If the tenant is happy with their service, this reduces the risk of them leaving and you being faced with income loss.
Of course, tenants are responsible for securing their guarantor, but this shouldn’t mean unexpected fees or unclear pricing structures.
Here are some questions to ask:
Some providers will offer partnership discounts or commission schemes, but these should never come at the expense of clarity or service quality.
The right partner will do more for you than just guarantee rent. They should help you create a better rental experience.
Ask about:
Multilingual resources for international tenants
We’ve helped over 100,000 tenants and partnered with major PBSA providers, universities, and private landlords across the UK and Ireland
Ready to partner with a professional guarantor service you can rely on?
Learn more about partnering with Housing Hand or get in touch with our team today.