When you need a guarantor to rent, you have two options: ask someone you know to be your private guarantor, or use a professional guarantor service. Both can work, and most landlords accept both. But if you have ever wondered which one a landlord would rather see on an application, the honest answer is that they are not viewed equally.
This guide explains the difference between the two, what a landlord is really weighing up when they look at your guarantor, and why a professional service is often the safer, simpler option for everyone involved.
What is a landlord actually looking for in a guarantor?
A guarantor exists to answer one question in a landlord's mind: if the rent is not paid, who covers it, and how easily? Everything a landlord checks flows from that. They want a guarantor who can genuinely afford to step in, whose finances they can verify, and whom they could realistically hold to the agreement if it ever came to it.
That is why a guarantor, of either kind, is usually expected to be UK-based, to earn a comfortable multiple of the rent, and to have a clean credit history. The stronger and more reliable that backing looks, the more comfortable a landlord is granting the tenancy. The choice between a private individual and a professional service comes down to which one meets that bar more dependably.
Why isn't a willing friend or relative always enough?
For UK students and renters with family nearby, a private guarantor is the traditional route, usually a parent. When it works, it works well, and it costs nothing.
The difficulty is that willingness and eligibility are not the same thing. A private guarantor has to pass the landlord's checks personally, and many people who would gladly help simply do not meet them:
- A parent living overseas fails the UK residency requirement, no matter how wealthy they are.
- A retired relative may not have the income on paper that referencing agencies look for, even with savings behind them.
- A friend or younger relative may not earn the required multiple of the rent, or may not have enough UK credit history.
- Some people are understandably uneasy about taking on a large, open-ended legal liability, even for someone they love.
There is also a quieter risk that landlords are aware of. An individual's circumstances change. Over a tenancy, a private guarantor can retire, move abroad, fall out with the tenant, or simply become difficult to contact. If the landlord ever needed to rely on them, none of that is guaranteed to hold. It is not that individuals are unreliable; it is that one person's situation is inherently less predictable than a company's.
What makes a professional guarantor service more reliable?
A professional guarantor service is built to clear exactly the bar a landlord sets. Rather than hoping an individual happens to meet every requirement, the service meets them as a matter of course, and stays constant for the whole tenancy.
From a landlord's point of view, that offers a few things an individual often cannot:
- Financial standing that is not in question. An established company's ability to cover the rent does not depend on one person's payslips or pension.
- A party that does not change. A company does not retire, emigrate, or lose touch. It is the same guarantor in month one and month twelve.
- A straightforward process if a payment is missed. A reputable service has a clear route to cover rent and recover it, rather than a landlord having to chase a private individual.
- Familiarity. Landlords and letting agents who have dealt with a service before know what they are getting.
This is why, for many landlords, a professional guarantor is not a fallback for tenants without a willing relative. It is the option they are most comfortable with.
So which do landlords prefer?
Most landlords will accept a strong private guarantor without hesitation; a UK-based parent on a good income with a clean credit file is rarely a problem. A professional service pulls ahead in reliability and simplicity. It removes the guesswork about whether the guarantor qualifies, and the uncertainty about whether they will still be reachable and solvent a year from now.
For you as the tenant, that has a practical benefit: offering a guarantor a landlord already trusts can make your application easier to accept, especially in a competitive market where the smoothest application often wins the property.
How does Housing Hand work as your guarantor?
Housing Hand is the most widely accepted guarantor service in the UK, partnered with more than 4,000 accommodation providers. We stand as your guarantor and sign the agreement directly with your landlord, giving them the reliable, UK-based backing they are looking for, without you needing to ask anyone you know to take on the risk.
For you, the process is designed to be simple:
- We do not run credit checks. We assess your application based on documents, not your credit history.
- You will need a co-signer, whose part is light: ID and proof of address only, with no credit check, no income requirement, and no need to live in the UK.
- If you ever struggle to pay your rent, we pay the landlord on your behalf and agree a repayment plan with you.
- Every guarantor customer also gets free 24/7 access to NHS-practising GPs and wellbeing support.
If a landlord has not worked with us before, we can approach them directly. And if you are still searching, our guide on how to rent without a guarantor covers your wider options, while who can be a guarantor explains the criteria a private individual would need to meet.
Which option should you choose?
A private guarantor can be a great option if you have someone in your life who genuinely meets every requirement and is happy to sign. If you do not, or if you simply want the option a landlord finds easiest to accept, a professional guarantor service is the more dependable choice, for you and for them. It clears the bar by design, and it does not change halfway through your tenancy.
We make renting in the UK simpler
Housing Hand is the UK's leading rent guarantor service, trusted by over 100,000 tenants and partnered with more than 4,000 accommodation providers across the UK. We do not run credit checks. Every guarantor customer also gets free 24/7 access to GP and wellbeing support.
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