What is a guarantor?
A guarantor is someone who agrees to pay your rent if you’re unable to pay it.
Many private landlords and letting agents request that a third-party acts as a guarantor for the rent before they'll agree to let a property to a student.
Who can I use as a guarantor?
Many students use a parent or a guardian as their guarantor.
Landlords will usually require a UK-based guarantor, which can often be a problem for overseas students.
UK citizens may also experience difficulties if they don’t have a family support network or their parents earn under the threshold set by the agent to act as a guarantor.
I can’t find a guarantor; what can I do?
Negotiate with your landlord or letting agent
It can be possible to negotiate with your landlord or letting agent regarding the amount of rent to pay upfront. If you have enough income or funding to cover your rent every month and can provide evidence of this, your landlord may be willing to accept a lower amount of rent in advance.
Important to know: Always ensure that your agreement is confirmed in writing.
Private guarantor company
Several organisations have been set up to help students without a UK guarantor. You can find qualifying criteria and the terms of service on the guarantor organisation website and check that the agent/landlord will accept this scheme before applying.
Housing Hand and Your Guarantor are two organisations we are aware of that offer a guarantor service to students.
Important to know: We are aware of such companies, but please understand that we do not endorse them.
If you would like to talk to us about your options please contact the Money & Housing Advice team and we can provide information and advise you.
King’s Residences
All new full-time undergraduate and international postgraduate applicants are guaranteed accommodation in the first year of study. This is on the condition that King’s is your firm choice for the next academic year, and provided you submit your accommodation application by the deadline noted on the Residences webpages.
Important to know: Care-experienced and estranged students are prioritised for KCL accommodation for the duration of their undergraduate studies.
Private student halls
There are plenty of private student accommodation providers who are not affiliated with a university. Some of these providers may be more flexible with their guarantor requirements.
These tend to be more expensive, so you should consider whether this is something you can realistically afford before signing a contract with them
One guarantor for joint tenants
Guarantee agreements are often worded to ensure that the Guarantor has liability for covering the full rent. This means that in joint tenancies they guarantee the rent for all tenants. If you are signing an agreement with others, you can ask if their guarantor is happy to cover the full rent which may mean that you do not have to provide your own guarantor.
Some agencies will insist on all joint tenants having their own guarantor anyway, but you can try to negotiate this.
If one guarantor is not happy to cover the full rent on a joint tenancy, they will need to check that the wording on their agreement limits their liability to just one share of the rent.
Advice for care-experienced and estranged students
We’re aware that securing a guarantor can be particularly difficult if you are a care-leaver or estranged from your family.
Contacting the Money & Housing Advice team can help you understand your options and get vital support. We advise that, regardless of your situation, you get in touch with us as a first step.
If you’re a statutory care-leaver under the age of 25, you should also have a personal advisor assigned by your local authority. If you are struggling to access help from your local authority, the charity CORAM: Advice for Young People can advocate for you.