Guarantor
A person who promises in writing to pay the rent, or cover other losses, if the tenant does not. Often asked of students or people on a lower income.
In short: A guarantor signs a guarantee, usually a deed, promising to meet the tenant's obligations if the tenant fails to. Landlords in England may ask for one, but cannot charge the tenant or guarantor a fee for it. With rent in advance now limited to one month, guarantors are a common alternative.
Finding a tenantTenancies and agreements
England. Checked against the law on 5 October 2026. Information, not legal advice.
What a guarantee usually covers is set by its own words: some cover the whole rent of a joint tenancy, some only one tenant's share; some last as long as the tenancy, some for a set time. The guarantor should read it before signing and take advice if unsure.
Points for landlords:
- The guarantor's agreement should be in writing and signed, often as a deed.
- Any deposit taken from a guarantor still counts toward the five-week cap and must be protected.
- Referencing a guarantor cannot be charged for: that is a prohibited payment.
- Asking for a UK guarantor only from people of a certain nationality could be unlawful discrimination.
Related: Joint and several liability, Rent guarantee insurance, Rent in advance
Where this comes from
Guides on this
Guide
First-time landlord checklist for England
From deciding to let to the first rent arriving: the consents, safety checks, licence, right to rent, written statement, deposit, inventory, landlord database and tax, in order, as the law stands after 1 May 2026.
Guide
Right to rent checks
Before any adult moves into a property you let in England, you must check they have the right to rent, and keep the evidence. Manual, online share-code or certified digital checks, and what to do about time-limited permission.
Guide
The assured periodic tenancy explained
Every private tenancy in England is now an assured periodic tenancy. What that is, how it starts, how it ends, and what your agreement can and cannot say.
Guide
Deposits: the cap, the 30 days and the prescribed information
A tenancy deposit in England is capped at five weeks' rent, must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days, and the tenant must get the prescribed information. Miss any of that and you face a penalty of up to three times the deposit.
Related terms
Glossary
Assured periodic tenancy
The standard private tenancy in England since 1 May 2026: it rolls on month to month (or shorter) with no end date until the tenant or landlord ends it properly.
Glossary
Assured shorthold tenancy (AST)
The usual private tenancy in England from 1997 until 30 April 2026. On 1 May 2026 existing ASTs became assured periodic tenancies and no new private ones can be made.
Glossary
Client money protection (CMP)
Cover that repays landlords and tenants if an agent loses or misuses money it holds for them. Compulsory for agents in England that hold client money.
Glossary
Energy performance certificate (EPC)
A certificate rating a home's energy efficiency from A (best) to G, valid for ten years. Needed before a home is let or sold, and shown in adverts.
Glossary
Holding deposit
A payment of up to one week's rent to reserve a home while the landlord checks an application. It must be returned or put towards the rent or deposit.
Glossary
Joint and several liability
When people rent a home together on one tenancy, each of them is responsible for the whole rent and the whole of the tenancy, not just their share.