Guarantors for private tenants

A guarantor is someone who agrees to pay your rent if you do not pay it.

They sign an agreement.

Do you have to get a guarantor?

You do not always need a guarantor to rent in the UK.

But many landlords and agents ask for a guarantor before offering you a tenancy.

You are more likely to be asked for a guarantor if you:

are a student or renting for the first time
move to the UK from overseas
have a low income or get benefits
do not pass a credit check
cannot give references from a previous landlord

Who can be a guarantor

Guarantors can be relatives or close friends, but they do not have to be.

Landlords and agents often check your guarantor's credit history, income and money.

They might say your guarantor must be a homeowner.

Your landlord or agent cannot charge extra fees if you need a guarantor.

For example, they cannot charge for checks or a guarantor agreement.

Video: What does it mean to be a guarantor?

Video transcript

What does it mean to be a guarantor?

If you agree to be a guarantor for someone, it means you agree to pay their rent if they stop paying.

You might also have to pay for any damage to the property that they cause.

Check the guarantor agreement to see what you might have to pay.

What if it's a joint tenancy?

Sometimes guarantor agreements say that you can be asked to pay for money if any of the joint tenants do not pay their rent, not just if the person you are guarantor for misses a payment.

Check the guarantor agreement very carefully.

You might want to make sure it says you can only be asked to pay for your friend or family member's share of the rent.

You can ask for a guarantor agreement that makes this clear.

When does the guarantor agreement end?

It depends on what your guarantor agreement says.

You might say you're not a guarantor if:

the tenancy terms have changed
the guarantor agreement wasn't properly explained to you
you felt under pressure to agree to be a guarantor

For guarantor agreements signed from 1 May 2026, the guarantor's liability ends if the tenant dies.

For joint tenancies this only applies if the tenant who died and the guarantor are related, or if all joint tenants die.

Our adviser explains what you should know if a family member or friend asks you to be their rent guarantor.

[Video length 01:21]

Guarantor agreements

A guarantor agreement is a legal document.

Your guarantor should get copies of both the tenancy agreement and the guarantor agreement before they sign anything.

They should read both carefully before signing.

Make sure you and your guarantor understand:

when the landlord can ask your guarantor for money
what happens in a joint tenancy
how long the guarantor agreement lasts

Make sure you and your guarantor are happy with the agreement.

When your guarantor can be asked to pay

A landlord could ask your guarantor to pay if you:

do not pay rent on time
cause damage to the property

They should contact you about the problems first.

If neither of you pay what's been agreed, the landlord could apply for a county court judgment (CCJ) against either or both of you.

A CCJ is a court order which says you owe someone money.

Guarantors for a joint tenancy

Each joint tenant is responsible for the total amount of rent, not just their share.

Any tenant can be asked to pay if other joint tenants do not pay their share.

This is called being 'jointly and severally liable' for rent.

A guarantor agreement for a joint tenancy works the same way.

Your landlord can usually ask your guarantor to pay if another joint tenant does not pay rent.

This can happen unless the guarantor agreement says they do not have to.

If there is more than one guarantor, each one should sign the guarantor agreement and agree to any changes.

Example: shared student house

The landlord might ask a parent of each student to guarantee the rent.

Each parent could be responsible for the whole rent unless they have an agreement which says they only have to cover their child's share.

How long a guarantor agreement lasts

How long a guarantor agreement lasts depends on what the agreement says.

Your guarantor might only want to be your guarantor for a set amount of time. For example, 1 year.

If the landlord agrees, this should be set out in the guarantor agreement.

Guarantor agreements signed before 1 May 2026

Some guarantor agreements say the guarantor is only responsible for unpaid rent during a fixed term assured shorthold tenancy (AST).

Renters' Rights Act changes mean that most fixed term ASTs became assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026.

Your guarantor is only responsible for unpaid rent after this date if the guarantor agreement says they are still responsible when the tenancy becomes a periodic tenancy.

Changes to the tenancy

A rent increase or new tenancy agreement usually means that you need a new guarantor agreement. The old one cannot be used anymore.

But your guarantor could still be responsible if either:

they agree to the change
the guarantor agreement says it does not end in these situations

If the tenant dies

For guarantor agreements signed from 1 May 2026, guarantors of private assured tenants are not responsible for unpaid rent after the tenant dies.

This only applies to joint tenants if either:

the joint tenant who dies and the guarantor are related
every joint tenant dies

A debt adviser can check the guarantor agreement if your landlord tries to use it.

A court can decide if the guarantor agreement is still in place if it's not clear.

Your landlord or agent might not be able to use it if your guarantor was forced, pressured or misled into signing.

If you do not have a guarantor

You could apply for a discretionary housing payment (DHP) to help with rent in advance or a deposit if you get universal credit or housing benefit where you live now.