Your UK Rent Guarantor
Landlords still ask for a UK-based guarantor, and most international students do not have one. Since 1 May 2026 a landlord in England can no longer ask you to pay several months' rent upfront instead, so the guarantor is now what decides whether you get the tenancy. SafeNet can arrange a professional, insurance-backed one.
Insurance-backed · Decisions usually within one working day · Subject to referencing
Why the guarantor now decides whether you get the room
The law changed on 1 May 2026. It closed the workaround students used to rely on, and left the guarantor requirement exactly where it was.
Landlords still ask for a UK guarantor
The Renters' Rights Act did not stop landlords requiring a guarantor, and they usually insist that person is UK-based. Family at home does not qualify.
Paying upfront is no longer allowed
Since 1 May 2026 a landlord in England cannot require or request more than one month's rent in advance. The six-to-twelve-months-upfront workaround is now unlawful.
So no guarantor means no tenancy
With the upfront option closed, a landlord who wants a guarantor and does not get one will usually let the property to somebody else instead.
The rules as they stand in 2026
What changed on 1 May 2026
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 reshaped how much a landlord can ask for before you move in.
Until 30 April 2026
6–12 months' rent upfront
The workaround students without a guarantor were pushed into.
From 1 May 2026
One month's rent, maximum
And nothing at all until the tenancy is signed.
One month's rent in advance, maximum
A landlord or agent in England cannot require or request more than one month's rent in advance at any one time. Any tenancy clause demanding more is void.
Nothing payable before you sign
No rent can be taken from a prospective tenant at all until the tenancy agreement has been signed.
Guarantors are still permitted
The Act did not ban guarantors. A professional guarantor service is an accepted way to provide one when you have nobody in the UK to ask.
Which tenancies it covers
The rules apply to tenancies granted on or after 1 May 2026 in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own separate rules.
General information only, not legal advice. Check your own circumstances with your university housing team or a housing adviser.
What the service gives you
A professional guarantor your letting agent can accept, backed by insurance rather than a personal favour.
Insurance-backed cover
The guarantee is underwritten by insurance, not a personal promise. That is why agents and landlords accept it.
Up to 12 months' rent
Cover of up to twelve months' rent, or £120,000 per tenancy, whichever is reached first.
Legal costs covered
Legal costs covered up to £10,000 for rent recovery and possession, giving your landlord the protection they ask for.
Damage guarantee
A guarantee against damages worth up to two months' rent, included in the cost, or one month for applicants on benefits. You remain liable for any damage at the end of your tenancy.
Fast decisions
Most applicants get a decision within one working day, often within a few hours, so you can move on a property quickly.
Cover for up to 3 years
The guarantee can run for up to three years, covering a full course rather than a single year. Years two and three are renewed annually.
The guarantee protects your landlord, not your wallet. You stay responsible for your own rent, and anything paid out on your behalf has to be reimbursed.
All figures are maximum cover levels, subject to referencing and our partners' terms and conditions. We confirm the exact cover and cost that applies to you before you commit to anything.
Who we can usually approve
A professional guarantor exists precisely for the people a landlord's standard checks would turn away.
International students
No UK address history and no UK-based family. This is the most common reason a guarantor is needed at all.
No UK credit history
Arriving with a thin or empty UK credit file does not rule you out.
Families on benefits
Households receiving benefits, including Universal Credit, are considered on the same basis as any other applicant.
IVAs and CCJs
Past credit problems are assessed individually rather than rejected automatically.
Every application is subject to referencing. Approval is not guaranteed.
How it works
Four steps between your enquiry and a guarantor your letting agent will accept.
Send us your details
Tell us where you are studying, what the rent is and when you need to move in.
We match you to a partner
We pass your details to the guarantor partner best suited to your city and your tenancy.
Referencing and approval
Our partner runs referencing and usually returns a decision within one working day.
Guarantor issued to your agent
The signed guarantee goes to your letting agent and your tenancy proceeds.
Request a guarantor
Tell us about your tenancy and we will come back to you with what we can arrange. No obligation.
Send us your details
We match you to a partner
Referencing and approval
Guarantor issued to your agent
Do not lose the room over a guarantor
Talk to a SafeNet adviser about arranging a professional guarantor for your tenancy.
Browse Student AccommodationCommon questions
A guarantor is someone who agrees to pay your rent if you do not. UK landlords usually require that person to be UK-based, which most international students cannot provide.
Not in England. Since 1 May 2026 a landlord or agent cannot require or request more than one month's rent in advance, and no rent can be taken before you have signed the tenancy agreement. If you are asked for six or twelve months upfront, that request is unlawful and you should raise it with your university housing team. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own rules.
Most do, because the guarantee is underwritten by insurance rather than one person's savings. Accepting it is ultimately the landlord's decision, so it is worth confirming with your agent early.
The service is paid for by the tenant, and the price depends on your rent and the length of your tenancy. We confirm the exact cost before you commit to anything.
Most applicants get a decision within one working day, and often within a few hours, once we have your details and your referencing information.
Neither automatically rules you out. Professional guarantors exist for applicants that standard landlord checks would reject, though every application is still subject to referencing.
Yes, and this is the part to be clear about. A guarantor is not a rent subsidy. If your landlord makes a claim and our partner pays them, you have to reimburse that money — under our main partner's agreement, within 30 days of being asked, with interest accruing if you do not. What the service buys you is the tenancy, not free rent. If you do run into difficulty, the provider works with you on a payment plan rather than going straight to enforcement.
Some universities now act as a UK-based guarantor for their own students. It is worth asking your student advice service first, because where it is available it is usually free. We can arrange a professional guarantor if it is not.