What Is a Guarantor?

Key Takeaways:

A guarantor is someone who agrees to pay your rent if you cannot, by signing a guarantor agreement alongside your tenancy agreement.
Most landlords ask for one when a tenant is a student, has no steady income, or is new to the UK without a local credit history.
A guarantor usually needs to be a UK resident, aged 18 to 75, with a good credit history and a stable income or their own home.
A guarantor's liability can cover unpaid rent and damage to the property, and in a joint tenancy sometimes other tenants' rent too.
If you do not have someone who qualifies, a professional guarantor service such as Housing Hand can stand as your guarantor instead.

If you are planning to rent in the UK, you will almost certainly come across the word "guarantor." It is one of the most common requirements for securing a home, and one of the most misunderstood.

In simple terms, a guarantor is someone who agrees to pay your rent if you cannot. But there is a little more to it, including who can take on the role, what they are agreeing to, and what your options are if you do not have anyone who qualifies. This guide explains the essentials.

What a guarantor actually does

A guarantor is a person who agrees to cover your rent if you fall behind, by signing a guarantor agreement alongside your tenancy agreement. Both are legal documents, and both are signed before you move in.

For a landlord, a guarantor is reassurance. If a rent payment is missed, they have a named person to turn to, rather than being left out of pocket. For UK students, this is usually a parent or family member. For international students and young professionals, finding someone who qualifies can be harder, because most landlords want the guarantor to be based in the UK.

When and why is a guarantor required?

Most landlords, letting agents, and student accommodation providers ask for a guarantor when:

The tenant is a student, or has no steady income to evidence.
The tenant is new to the UK and has no local credit history for a referencing agency to check.
The landlord wants extra protection against unpaid rent or damage to the property.

Being asked is not a sign of distrust. It is a standard safeguard, and in a competitive rental market it is simply part of how landlords manage risk.

Who can be a guarantor?

Not everyone qualifies. When carrying out a credit check and referencing, landlords generally expect a guarantor to:

Be a UK resident with a permanent UK address.
Be aged between 18 and 75.
Have a stable income, usually two to three times the annual rent, or own their own home.
Have a good credit history and credit score.

A guarantor does not have to be a parent. Other family members, and sometimes friends or colleagues, can agree to be a guarantor if they meet the criteria. Our guide to who can be a guarantor explains each requirement in detail.

What is a guarantor liable for?

When someone agrees to be your guarantor, they enter a legally binding agreement, and they must understand it before the agreement is signed. Depending on the terms, they could be responsible for:

Your unpaid rent.
Additional costs, such as damage to the property beyond normal wear and tear, or end-of-tenancy charges.
In a joint tenancy, sometimes the rent of other tenants too, if the agreement is "joint and several."

That last point is why some family members are cautious about signing, and why services like Only My Share exist, so a guarantor is responsible only for your share rather than the whole house. Anyone considering the role should read our guide to the risks of being a guarantor first.

What if you don't have a guarantor?

For international students and people relocating to the UK, it is common not to know anyone who qualifies. That does not mean you cannot rent.

In the past, a tenant without a guarantor could offer several months' rent in advance instead. The Renters' Rights Act has since capped rent in advance at one month for most tenancies, so this is no longer a general option, and our Renters' Rights guide explains the current rules. For most renters in this position, the practical answer is now a professional guarantor service, which stands as your guarantor so you do not need to find someone yourself. Our guide on how to rent without a guarantor walks through the options.

How Housing Hand's guarantor service works

Housing Hand is the UK's most widely accepted guarantor service, and has helped over 100,000 students and professionals secure a home since 2013. Rather than asking someone you know to take on the risk, you apply to us, and we stand as your guarantor, signing the guarantor agreement directly with your landlord.

The service is built for the people who find the requirement hardest to meet:

We do not run credit checks, so your application does not depend on your credit history or credit score.
You can pay monthly rather than in one lump sum.
Your family and friends are kept free of the financial liability a personal guarantor takes on.
Every guarantor customer gets free 24/7 access to NHS-practising GPs and wellbeing support.

The service supports UK students, international students, young professionals, and working tenants with limited or no UK credit history. You can check your eligibility and get a quote in minutes.

The bottom line

A guarantor can make all the difference when renting in the UK. By agreeing to cover your rent if you're unable to, they give landlords the reassurance they need, which is why many require one as part of the application process. If you don't have a suitable UK-based guarantor, that doesn't have to stop you from securing a home.

Housing Hand makes renting in the UK simpler by providing a trusted professional rent guarantor service. Having supported more than 100,000 tenants and partnered with over 4,000 accommodation providers nationwide, we help renters move forward with confidence. We don't carry out credit checks, and every customer also receives free 24/7 access to GP and wellbeing support, giving you extra peace of mind throughout your tenancy.