Information for guarantors

Summary

People often agree to act as a guarantor to enable a relative or a friend to rent a home. If you are thinking of doing this, that is very kind. If you agree to it, you will probably be helping someone who wouldn’t otherwise be able to become a private renter. And if nothing goes wrong, then it might be that you sign up as a guarantor, and never hear from the landlord again. The information in this guide applies to England. 1 Pros and cons of being a guarantor 2 A guarantor's responsibilities 3 Getting advice 4 When does a guarantor’s legal responsibility start? 5 When does a guarantor’s legal responsibility end? 6 Asking for changes to the guarantee agreement 7 About this guide Being a guarantor for someone can be hugely helpful and may mean they can rent a place, that they couldn't otherwise. But sometimes a relative or friend might not be able to pay their rent or meet other tenancy obligations. If things do go wrong, guarantors are sometimes surprised to find that a landlord can ask them to honour the guarantee and even take court action against them if they fail to pay what is due. If you find yourself in this situation, you can, in theory, ask the tenant(s) to repay you and.

Key information

• guarantors - who they are and what they do
• what to do if you can't get a guarantor
• top tips on how to show a landlord you will be a good tenant
• as one of the benefits of your home or car insurance. Check your policy documents to see if this applies to you. Many insurance policies provide access to free legal advice about the law in England and Wales, for example, via a telephone helpline.
• as one of the benefits of trade union membership. If you are a member of a trade union, contact them to find out where you may be able to get free or low cost legal advice.
• from your local advice centre or Law Centre. See our Legal advice and helpline finder for more information about where to go for legal advice.
• any rent money owed (you may hear this called ‘arrears’),
• the cost of putting right any damage to the property, and,
• any other costs that the tenancy agreement allows the landlord to charge the tenants as a result of them not complying with the tenancy agreement in some way
• The guarantee only applies for a set period of time, for example, 6 months or a year. In this situation it’s best if the provisions set out both a start and end date for your responsibilities.
• You are only liable for any debt owed divided by the number of tenants sharing the property. So, for example, in a situation where the tenant is sharing with 3 others, the guarantee only extends to 25% of the rent for any one month.
• People often agree to act as a guarantor to enable a relative or a friend to rent a home. If you are thinking of doing this, that is very kind. If you agree to it, you will probably be helping someone who wouldn’t otherwise be able to become a private renter. And if nothing goes wrong, then it might be that you sign up as a guarantor, and never hear from the landlord again.

Practical guidance

• Source: Information for guarantors

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