- More than half of landlords are now more likely to ask for a guarantor when tenants fail affordability checks.
- Half of tenants without access to a guarantor said they would look for a cheaper property, while 16 per cent would stop searching altogether.
- Yet 74 per cent of tenants surveyed were unaware that professional guarantor services exist.
For renters without family members or friends who can step in financially, finding a home in Britain could be about to get harder.
More than half of landlords surveyed by LRG said they are now more likely to request a guarantor from tenants who do not comfortably meet standard affordability checks.
The shift follows the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act, which prevents landlords from asking for more than one month’s rent in advance. For landlords, that removes a financial safeguard they could previously use when they were concerned about a tenant’s ability to pay.
A guarantor can provide another layer of security, but it also creates a problem for renters who do not have someone able or willing to take on that responsibility.
The people who could be pushed towards cheaper homes
The research found that 28 per cent of landlords had not changed their approach, while 13 per cent said they had always required a guarantor when a tenant failed affordability criteria.
For tenants, however, the consequences could be significant.
Among those without access to a guarantor, 51 per cent said they would look for a cheaper property if a landlord or letting agent asked them for one. Another 16 per cent said they would stop their property search altogether.
That means a requirement designed to reduce risk for landlords could indirectly affect where some tenants can live — or whether they can secure a rental home at all.
The impact could be particularly noticeable for renters without established family support networks, including people moving out on their own or those who cannot rely on relatives to take on financial liability for their tenancy.
Allison Thompson, chief lettings officer at Leaders, said landlords still need confidence that a tenancy is affordable and sustainable, while tenants without family or friends who can act as guarantors should not assume they have no alternatives.
A solution most renters don't know exists
One of those alternatives is a professional guarantor service, which can act in place of a family member or friend.
But awareness remains low.
Only 18 per cent of tenants surveyed said they would consider using a professional guarantor service if family or friends were unavailable, while 74 per cent did not know such services existed.
That creates an unusual situation in the rental market. As landlords look for new ways to manage financial risk, tenants may increasingly need to understand options that were previously unfamiliar to them.
The broader issue is whether the changing rental rules will simply move the affordability test somewhere else.
Removing the ability to demand additional rent upfront may make renting less financially demanding at the point of signing a tenancy. But if more landlords respond by asking for guarantors, some renters could face a different test — whether they have someone behind them who can provide financial backing.
For tenants who do, the change may be little more than another administrative requirement. For those who do not, it could become one more obstacle in an already competitive rental market.
