Referencing
Rent guarantor: who can be one and what they sign
A rent guarantor agrees to pay your rent if you don’t. It is usually a parent, relative or friend, and agents often look for one earning about 36 times the monthly rent a year, though that is practice, not law. What they owe, and for how long, is whatever the guarantor agreement says, so they should read it before they sign.
England only · Checked 23 October 2026 · Independent
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Check a property freeWhat a guarantor signs
A guarantor agreement is a legal document, separate from the tenancy agreement. The guarantor should get a copy of both.
- It must be in writing and signed by the guarantor. If the tenancy has already started when the guarantee is signed, it must be made as a deed, with the guarantor’s signature witnessed.
- It can cover more than rent. Many also cover damage and other costs under the tenancy. The wording decides.
- It can’t ask more of the guarantor than of the tenant. A guarantor’s liability cannot exceed the tenant’s.
- In a joint tenancy it often covers the whole rent. Each joint tenant is responsible for the total, so a guarantor can be chased for another tenant’s share unless the agreement says otherwise.
- The fee ban covers guarantors too. The Tenant Fees Act counts someone who guarantees the rent as a “relevant person”, so a landlord or agent can’t charge them for referencing or paperwork either.
Who can be a guarantor
The law doesn’t say. Each landlord or agent sets its own bar, and these are the usual asks:
- Income. About 36 times the monthly rent a year, before tax. For a rent of £1,000 a month, that is £36,000 a year. Tenants themselves are usually asked for about 30 times.
- A good credit history. The guarantor is referenced too, which can slow things down.
- Living in the UK. Citizens Advice says landlords usually want this.
- Sometimes owning a home. Shelter says some ask for it. Not all do.
The multiples are market convention, not law. Work out the rent an agent is likely to accept, and see how long tenant referencing takes when a guarantor is involved.
How long a guarantor is liable
As long as the guarantor agreement says. Many have no end date, so the guarantee can last as long as the tenancy. It ends when the tenancy legally ends: by valid notice, by agreeing to end it, or by a court order.
- Most tenancies have been periodic since 1 May 2026. Under the Renters’ Rights Act they roll on with no fixed end date, so check whether the guarantee covers that or only a fixed term.
- Guarantees signed before 1 May 2026. Shelter says a guarantor who agreed to a fixed term that was cut short on that date is released from it, unless the guarantee also covers the periodic tenancy that followed. GOV.UK suggests guarantors review any older agreement.
- If the tenant dies. For guarantees signed from 1 May 2026, the guarantor isn’t liable for rent after a sole tenant’s death. In a joint tenancy that applies when the tenant they are related to dies, or when all the tenants have died. Rent already owed is still owed.
- If the tenancy changes. Shelter says a new tenancy agreement or a rent increase can end a guarantor’s responsibility, unless they agreed to it or the guarantee says otherwise.
A guarantor can’t end the tenancy. If you want a limit, agree a fixed period in the guarantee before you sign.
Renting without a guarantor
- A council or charity rent guarantee scheme. Shelter calls these the better option. Some help with a deposit or rent in advance, and you may have to pay back what they pay on your behalf. Ask your council.
- A rent guarantor company. You pay a fee and it acts as your guarantor. A landlord can suggest one but can’t make you use it. Check the fee, and whether it can come to you for the money if it has to pay out.
- One month’s rent in advance, no more. Six months upfront is no longer a way round it. Since 1 May 2026 the most a landlord can take is one month’s rent, after you sign. Rent in advance has the rules.
- A cheaper home, or a room. A lower rent is easier to pass on your own income.
- Students: Shelter suggests asking your university about hardship funds, student support, or landlords who don’t ask for a guarantor.
If your credit history is the reason you need a guarantor, see renting with bad credit and renting with a CCJ or IVA.
What a guarantor should check before signing
- Get a copy of the tenancy agreement as well as the guarantor agreement, and read both in full.
- Check what is covered: only the rent, or damage and other costs too.
- In a joint tenancy, check whether you are guaranteeing the whole rent or just one person’s share, and ask for a share-only agreement if you want one.
- Check how long it lasts: a fixed period, the first tenancy only, or for as long as the tenancy runs.
- Check what happens if the rent goes up or a new agreement is signed.
- Ask whether you can limit it, for example to the rent and damage the tenant causes, or to a set period. The landlord doesn’t have to agree.
- Check the rent is fair and the home is sound: you are guaranteeing this home, at this rent.
- Don’t sign under pressure. If anything is unclear, ask Citizens Advice or a solicitor first.
If you’re the guarantor, check the home before you guarantee it.
What is a rent guarantor?
Someone who agrees to pay your rent if you don’t. Often it is a parent, another relative or a close friend. Depending on what they sign, they may also have to pay for damage or other costs under the tenancy. The landlord or agent usually checks their income and credit history too.
Who can be a guarantor?
There are no legal rules on who can be one: each landlord or agent sets its own. Agents commonly look for someone earning about 36 times the monthly rent a year, with a good credit history, and Citizens Advice says landlords usually want a guarantor who lives in the UK. That is market practice, not law.
Does a guarantor need to own a house?
Not by law. Shelter says some landlords or agents might ask for a guarantor who is a homeowner, but it is their own requirement. If one asks, it is worth asking whether a guarantor who rents but has a good income would do.
How long is a guarantor liable?
For as long as the guarantor agreement says. Many are open-ended, so the liability can last as long as the tenancy does. Most private tenancies have been periodic, with no end date, since 1 May 2026, so check whether the guarantee covers the periodic tenancy or only a fixed term.
Is a guarantor liable for the other tenants’ rent?
Often, yes. In a joint tenancy each tenant is responsible for the whole rent, not just their share, so a guarantor can be asked to pay if another tenant doesn’t. A guarantor can ask for an agreement that covers only their person’s share.
Can a landlord make me use a guarantor company?
No. Shelter says a landlord or agent might suggest a particular company but cannot make you use one, and GOV.UK’s Tenant Fees Act guidance lists a professional guarantor service among products you can choose to use. If you do use one, you pay it a fee.
Can a landlord ask only people on benefits for a guarantor?
No. Since 1 May 2026 a landlord can’t refuse you because you get benefits. GOV.UK’s guidance says a landlord may ask every applicant for a guarantor, but asking only benefit claimants for one is discrimination. A council can fine up to £7,000.
Can I pay rent upfront instead of having a guarantor?
Not more than a month of it. Since 1 May 2026 a landlord can’t ask for or accept any rent before the tenancy agreement is signed, and can ask for at most one month’s rent, or 28 days’ if rent is weekly, between signing and the start. That holds even if you offer more.
Where this comes from
Shelter’s guarantors for private renters and its legal guide to guarantors for tenancy agreements; Citizens Advice on using a guarantor; section 19 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 on a tenant’s death; section 1 of the Tenant Fees Act 2019; and GOV.UK’s Tenant Fees Act guidance for tenants, guidance on rental discrimination and rent in advance and deposits. The income multiples are market practice, not law.
This guide covers common private tenancies in England and is general information, not legal advice. Different rules apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and to lodgers, social housing and some specialist accommodation. RenterCheck is independent and not a guarantor company. A guarantor unsure about an agreement should get advice before signing.
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