HELP, I Can’t Get A Tenant Guarantor – Here’s What You Should Do!

ive neen looking for a place for 7 mths always used my dad as guarantour but now he cant do it as he hasnt worked for a yr, building his own house he has sports cars rentals him self and is probably a millionaire twice over in assets but yet i cant i still cant use him,,im stuffed so will be evicted soon and end up in a druggy bed sit..not happy

Also forgot to mention i have my own business and have a shop, but i dont earn over £28000 a yr to not need a guarantour

There is clearly a huge shortage of housing and in particular social housing. An issue exasperated by the changes to pensions. Now as defined contribution pensions are just plain awful people are trying to buy properties as retirement plans. This clearly is problematic. One because it raises demand and two quite simply because if everyone did it then eventually there's no one to rent to!!

The only way to keep that going is a huge pool of people stuck renting. People on the lowest incomes, with the least support and least likely to meet these outrageous demands like guarantors.

People need somewhere to live, shelter from the elements, this is a basic human necessity. Equating risk in purely monetary terms does not take into consideration the impact on an individual's life. A landlord losing some rent or having difficulty going through courts to recover it is not the same 'inconvenience' or 'frustration' as having no home, shelter or food.

Now with regard to the commenter breaking the violin out for agencies and landlords. You present the case of landlords whom fall into a bourgeois category, who are building a retirement portfolio. There are people with 100s and 1000s of properties they don't use letting agents they own them. They have lawyers and agents and debt collection agencies on their payroll. These people are making a fortune out of this system and the 'landlords' you are talking about are perpetuating it instead of speaking out on behalf of the most vulnerable in society who suffer the heaviest consequences.

I will say it again, people need somewhere to live in order to thrive and survive. Not having the fortune of friends or family who can act as guarantors does not change this. This is why we built social housing to begin with. So let's not downplay the suffering, injustice and inequality of opportunity created by this expectation as 'frustrating' because that isn't even close and no means comparable to the frustration of a landlord calling his lawyer to recover non-payment from a warm, secure home. I'm sorry but there's a very old phrase that rings true here: Ragged Trousered Philanthropist?

Single, pregnant mum's no support, broke up with their partner. Need a house for their family, no family support, no guarantor. Can't rent a house? Waiting lists in the years for social housing? This country is becoming disgraceful in terms of its ethics and social awareness, it is regressing to Edwardian times. How long before we start seeing servant's quarters in these 'poor' landlords homes? Really... that is the pertinent issue here the trials and tribulations of people who already have more homes than they need? The security of their investments and income? Not ensuring that people can have somewhere to live. Makes me sick and ashamed to consider myself British to be associated with such people.

Living in private renting sector whilst receiving housing benefit as a single parent can be a vicious cycle. I've had to move three times in the past five years because of notice given by landlords and with rising rental costs the amount required for a guarantor in annual income or savings is a joke! The general equation is one month's rent x36 and considering that most 3 bed properties on the outskirts of London range from £1100-£1500 per month in rent you are looking at needing a guarantor who earns 43-50k a year or has that sort of money sat in the bank account! I do not think landlords consider that having someone with this kind of money is near impossible for many reasons for some people. I believe if you have a great reference from previous landlords, no poor credit history and have always paid your rent on time they should not require a guarantor. Why should we have to suffer hardship because of reasons beyond our control? A solution such as paying for insurance or doubling the deposit really isn't the answer for most and I wish more landlords would understand that. Don't judge everyone the same when a small handful of people ruin it for genuine people.

Lived in England for years, never had to provide a guarantor.
Move up North; OH WELL!

I got declined constantly without getting a reason why.
I offered to pay double the deposit - nope.
I offered to pay a whole year of rent in advance - nope.

I never took out a credit in my life, had enough savings to support 3 flats at once, and yet: NOPE.

That's what you get apparently after being sex trafficked into another country and then trying to return to real life afterwards: No mercy.
Contacted the council - Nope, can't help. I have too mcuh money to be homeless and am not worthy of their services if I haven't lived there.
Contacted my university - Oopsie, no housing service, try student halls? Don't you wanna share a flat with a bunch of slobs who are 10 years younger than you? Haha, nope, here's a waiting list.

My health? Finding work? Doing anything? - You can't do it without a registered address.
No family, no friends in the country, therefor no guarantor.

Now I'm trying to find a lawyer, maybe they can make a guarantor? But who knows, really?
I'm starting to regret not switching my lights off when I had the chance to.

I’ve moved 3 times in the last year, have been going through rehab after battling addiction for 20 years, now sober, studying, working part time as a yoga teacher, volunteering, setting up a non profit out reach recovery programme and full time single mother. I’ve been in the same flat now since June, I had to pay 6 months up front plus 2 months deposit. The agency are now asking me to renew from December and apparently I need to pay the deposit again plus another 6 months they have told me that the landlord will accept a guarantor but I don’t know anyone I can ask, I’ve asked 2 people but they have both said they don’t earn that kind of money so can’t help. I am a very good tennant, rented for years, never not paid rent, I receive HB all of which will cover the rent and this is an automatic payment, I don’t have to attend appointments etc it will go directly to the landlord if I put in a request to the HB team to do this, my son is in a local school and I can’t bare the idea of moving yet again and uprooting our entire lives for the sake of not having a guarantor. This is effecting so many vulnerable people, I don’t understand how people in the top echolons of society can look down and say “yeah, that’s alright” I just don’t get it. The lack of moral compas and compassion in this society is so sad. If I had money I would buy loads of houses and give them away. Why aren’t people doing this? Those with allot have a moral obligation to help others who have less. And I have always worked and I have always helped others when ever I could. And even if I could work full time at the moment..... which I have also tried.... literally I have applied for thousands of jobs..... nothing. I have an excellent working history and strong work ethic.... and even if I could there is no way I’d be earning £25,000 I would still need a guarantor and rediculous amounts of money to put up front. What a stupid system. Something has got to give. This is effecting children, the disabled, mentally ill etc.... what is going on? And saying that people are untrustworthy is just not nice. Actually I think that dodgy landlords offering lower rent in exchange for sexual favours and lying cheating estate agents who for some reason have been given power over the manopoly of our housing market are not trustworthy... they have a bad reputation for a reason. When in fact pretty much all the people I know who are in receipt of benefits are honest hard working struggling people just trying to live day by day and keep a roof over their heads. Housing is a basic human right for every man woman and child in this earth. When will this madness end???

Thanks for this. I might be late to the game but you've been helpful.

As a small point though, you ask yourself why nobody trusts the potential tenant enough to act as their guarantor. Well, here's my experience so far:

My partner has paid his CCJs (I'm aware that is a problem with many landlords and appreciate why) but even when I was the chief earner and we mentioned these for pre-application disclosure, the immediate focus is on him, and I'll need a guarantor. It should be easy, right? After all, it's not like we can't afford it.

The only issue we have is that we don't know many people. We know two people who fully meet the guarantor criteria - needing to earn x, being a UK homeowner... One of those offered to be our guarantor recently, but he has a very unreliable accountant who, after much chasing, singlehandedly managed to lose us a place simply by ignoring all requests to sent tax returns. The other person, he doesn't trust anyone enough to act as their guarantor - he's recently found out that both his son and ex wife have been on the take from one of his businesses, so who can blame him? Heck, I'd trust nobody after that experience.

We're going to try using one of these rent guarantor companies within the week. If you still want to know about the experience, I'll be happy to tell you everything.

Being a six month tenancy which is just about to run out I did have a guarantor but the person will not do it again what are my legal rights

May i say that whilst i understand the perspective of the landlord and mainly the person writing this article. It is not about “why doesn't anyone trust them” sometimes its an emergency that sees them having to flee an abusive home and start again. Or family/friends that simply do not earn the ridiculous x3 wage!
This is geared very much to feeling like “yes i know this is hard for you but.... tough”.
Anyone with a heart can see the genuine souls that need help and should offer a 1:1 meeting if they really are that worried!
Do a credit score, if they are low income/help. So wjat? Maybe they have fallen on hard times. A genuine worker will have zero issue showing you why they need that help and home.
Abit more open mindedness would help many folks trapped. Me included

This insistence by landlords for insisting that all landlords demand a home owner guarantee another persons rent like the character who has written this article is so close to ridiculous.Why this action is not criminalized is very odd? People need to petition for law changes in the renting system. This rent guarantor scam means that a tenant will never have a sensible relationship with a rogue property agent or landlord and why would they after being treated like a none responsible adult. There is a rent safety net and it is called housing benefit, why on Earth can't these rogue landlords and equally dodgy letting agents get their minds around this? HERE IS THE REASON WHY? GREED- If they are charging a fair market rent and a tenant loses his/her job, benefits will cover the rent. What they wont cover is the excessive profiteering rents charged by many landlords who are in turn encouraged to do this by unprofessional greedy letting agents....The rental market in the Uk over the last 25 years has gone rogue and riddled with greed, with characters looking to excessively profit from renting out properties at excessive prices. The law should force them to rent out a property under normal conditions and not place obstacles in the path of those unlucky enough to have to rent. How many decent families have been forced into homelessness because a greedy landlord makes unnatural demands. No sane person wants to guarantee the rent of another person, this invites all sorts of potential difficulties. The laws needs to be created to stop many of the current vile renting practices going on in the UK. You want to be a landlord then do what was done for hundreds of years, you rent out and take a change while enjoying taking money and if a person loses their job, USE YOUR BRAINS and be honest....housing benefit is the required safety net. Stop charging over the top rent prices and cut out the ridiculous middle man parasitic property agents. deal directly with prospective tenants.

Having read up on being a guarantor on this site as I found a couple of the clauses interesting, yet apparently, normal like that I am still apparently a guarantor when I am dead or bankrupt, well good luck with that. Yes I do get the landlord would pursue my estate or join the long list of creditors, but neither situation sounds like one worth pursuing.

Note I am not considering either death or bankruptcy imminent issues I have to deal with thankfully.

Anyway, I digress, I felt compelled to comment as I find it odd that this site encourages landlords both to insist on guarantors and yet advise potential guarantors to run a mile.

Comments like "Why doesn’t anyone trust this person enough to be their Guarantor?" err well I read the text here on it and decided it is not worth the trouble?

Now I get they are saying think seriously about it and understand what you are agreeing to, but if you scare everyone off being a guarantor there won’t be any!

This post is a damaging post for all future tenants. You are clearly a property owner in a position where you have been lucky enough not to have needed to rent a property yourself for 20+ years, but have been reaping the benefits of inflation of your home property and your investment property, plus the tenant paying for your mortgage on your investment property. You also mention that the rent has been paid for the most part of 20 years apart from once by one “ass hole” tenant yet fail to mention their personal circumstances - perhaps they lost their job and fell into financial hardship. Guarantors are few and far between and I’m sure if you had a friend or neighbour who was renting a property you would not jump at the chance to put your credit score and finances on the line for someone - even if you did trust them. Mixing money with friendship is not usually a good thing so many people are usually not willing to be a guarantor. If someone’s not going to pay the rent, they’re not going to pay the rent and neither is the guarantor. If it gets to eviction and court and they get issues with CCJs and they haven’t paid by then, they’re not paying the rent. People who rent don’t have lots of money to be buying property. This is a very out of touch post and you are doing damage by promoting this opinion as it is in researched and biased.

I'm a person currently struggling to find a guarantor. Not because I don't have positive references, but because some landlords (the vast majority in Cardiff) insist that said guarantor is also a homeowner.

Let's talk about my two parents. My mother would be more than happy to be my guarantor and has a positive credit rating. But she's severely disabled and can't work. She lives in disabled adapted social housing, and is therefore ineligible.

My father disowned me in my early teens because I just so happen to be homosexual and he's stuck in the 1800's. We're talking these days, but nowhere near at a level where that would ever be a possibility.

Guarantors I can understand the requirement of. Insisting that they're also homeowners, as a lot of landlords do (and credit where credit is due, you didn't mention doing so in your post) just reeks of inherent classism. People from poorer, lower income backgrounds and those who are the children of disabled people just can't provide that. It's keeping us trapped in lower quality properties unless we can somehow raise thousands of pounds to appease people, and try doing that in this economic climate. The era where everyone and their dog is a homeowner is dead, and landlords in the UK need to wake up and smell the coffee.

If that's the way you think "nobody trusts the person to be their guarantor" that's seriously mistaken to the point of discriminatory! Like myself I only have 1 sister, my father and 2 friends. A total of 4 people who, through no faults of their own, are not suitable to BE guarantors! By age or even owning their own homes! LANDLORDS: this is whats you have been doing lately to myself (total - 35 in a month) you completely ignore a 15 year tenancy with no rent arrears as a plus sign and say no because of either: no guarantor, a quarter uc on top of wages and no pets! Treating tenants like their lives are way less than yours and not worth your time. We work hard for a living too you know, some more than others and still LLs look down their noses at us. I get there are some tenants who take the absolute crap and deserve to be evicted, but, I've seen landlord forums that say "boot them out" when they find out their tenant of 10 years had a ccj! If it's not affecting the rent, wtf? Using tenants and throwing them away like wet rags when they are done paying YOUR mortgage! They build lives in YOUR houses that YOU offered. No morals and no humanity whatsoever! And DONT advertise properties that say "close to localities and SCHOOLS if there's still a chance one day you could issue a sec 21 and throw them out knowing they would probably have to uproot their children to a different school! But, their not your kids so why would you care? Why would you care about the lives of your tenants over the income you make from them?

James, I hope you recognise the hypocrisy of your comment.

Have ALL landlords done that you you? Really? And that isn't discriminatory?

I've accepted tenants without guarantors before. I know plenty that do. But also, I find it strange how you can't understand that landlords want to minimise their risk, just like everyone else. We are running a business; we get taxed like a business; we are prone to foreclosure like other businesses etc.

The truth is landlords aren't treating you less human, you just seem to be playing the victim because you're not looking at the situation objectively.

Normally I'd empathise with someone in your situation, but your bitterness and ignorance is tough to swallow.

Stop blaming the world.

As a former senior member of a property investments company, property owner, homeless woman, and as of the last six months woman who has lost both jobs, and victim of crime, and who’s parents are both alcoholics, and someone who has become severely disabled with stroke/MS symptoms - I simply need to move home due to my physical and mental health needs. I am shielding and unable to attend viewings so am unable to take any rental properties as landlords won’t take me without viewing. I am unable to provide a guarantor. I had £36,000 in savings last year and spent it on rent and private therapy and living expenses. I now have no money and no family I can rely on. I have viewed ten properties - offered on them all, one accepted me subject to paying 12 months upfront. I don’t drink, I don’t have pets, I don’t have a credit card, I have an amazing credit score. I don’t have a guarantor. My disabilities won’t change so it’s unlikely my benefits will. It’s not that no one trusts me. It’s the social nonsense and articles like this that put landlords off accepting people like me. So I am unable to move from a flat under a 6 bedroom student house where I have been the victim of crime. Of course the council should step in, but imagine how long I have to wait. I am not a priority as I’m not technically homeless and I don’t have kids. I have paid my rent on time and in full in every property I have lived in, and the mortgage on time each month when I owned with my ex. I was a senior member of a property company and studied law part time whilst doing so. You have absolutely no idea how hard it is for tenants to find property and no idea the struggles people go through. You landlords put us all in the same boat but each and every single person has their own individual story. You have no care or empathy for our situations.

Eric, it's not bitterness and ignorance on my part. It's sheer disgust at being judged by people based on their lives they have built and circumstances that have nothing to do with rent being paid on time! The rental market isn't how it used to be and is getting more and more in favour of upper class than lower earners. I sent all 35 responses to my local mp who actually agrees it quite unfair. What you didn't realise in my response is its not just myself its happening to, its a lot of other people too! Some of you claiming you help with homelessness when in fact, and according to a recent thread on another website, one decided to issue with a section 21, because, originally the tenant moved in fully employed, they were asked by their council to join a scheme to help bear homelessness, the tenant had to quit working after 9 years as a result of a work accident, started to claim universal credit. Also stating the tenant was not in arrears and paid the rent anyway, but issued the no fault notice because they originally said working only! You expect model tenants not realising that your actually CAUSING homelessness. I think you need to imagine what it's like for a tenant instead of a landlord! Running a business but chucking people out on the streets whenever you feel like it without fault on the tenants part is ok? Do you honestly think its right to offer a long let, help people build lives knowing full well that tenant isn't secure in your property even though they class it as a home? Some have children, the only home they've ever known! Those children grow up thinking "stay away from private rented". You lose out, not tenants. I wonder how you sleep at night!

I came across this article in a desperate attempt to find out what's going on with landlords lately. My question has been answered. Oh dear, if this is what landlords are doing to potential renters, I'm in trouble. I am a tenant of 8 years and I have a section 21 in my hand. I thought I was safe. How I was wrong. The landlord blamed the pandemic and wants to move back in with his partner. I've got children and I'm finding it very difficult to find a guarantor, only because people I'm asking don't know me well enough and some of them don't have what they are asking, like owning homes\large incomes\perfect credit scores. I don't have a lot of family either, well, I don't know them as I was fostered as a child. Yes I have a few debts. I don't lie when I say I have never missed a rent payment in 8 years, God forbid I put my children through having to move because of rent debt. I see one person saying 35 landlords refused, if that's true then I'm in trouble because 6 have said no already and it's only been 4 weeks. Why make it so very difficult? I don't want to be forced into a tiny emergency flat from the council in the middle of nowhere with my cat and 2 sons! I don't deserve that, do I? I've done nothing wrong! I do agree with one point in a comment, a good history with paying rent every month should be an instant appeal to landlords. A notice to quit without any fault is a very big threat to tenants. I don't think landlords know how much renters feel uncomfortable and insecure, thinking one day they might be told to leave. Some save to buy a house, like myself. I haven't saved enough yet, so now I have to use it to put towards rent in advance, a deposit and holding fees and start all over again meanwhile, I'm worrying in case it happens again with the next house.
Section 21 notices are the leading cause of homelessness and pushes people down in ways landlords don't realise. Some people don't even know what it is and panic that their lives and welfare have just been torn up in front of them. In my situation, i don't see the logic. A stable income to help pay mortgage on the house, moving back in, no income from a renter but still has to pay the mortgage? They could, in fact, stay where they are and pay the mortgage on that property with their own separate income and finish the one here with my rent or sell it to another landlord? They way I see it its a dog eat dog world with private housing now, making life and financial status higher for landlords by forcing stable families to despair.
I'd like to ask Eric a question. Would you be angry too ? Looks like your trying to justify not being empathic with someone by using their anger as an excuse. I'm in the same boat, not as long a tenant as James but basically up s*** creek without a paddle and getting really upset and angry at being told I'm basically worthless to rent a future house or my cat who is 7 years old is not allowed. He's part of my family too. I get you have to pay taxes and the like, but, why does another person have to suffer severe consequences if they have done everything right? I don't think it's right to make someone good go without a roof when they could end up sleeping in a shop doorway while your warm and cozy. It's inhumane. A small group who don't pay their rent can be housed by councils I agree because they have to learn. But the good renters are never safe. Why?

Its all too strict. When a tenant rings a company and asks about a property, one of the first questions they ask is 'are you employed?'. Somehow, they like to reject you as soon as you mention UC. For me, if I say 'a small amount of UC makes up my income', its rejected or they require a guarantor. I can't get a guarantor because of not knowing that many people apart from 2 members of my family. Even if you have any adverse credit, rent guarantee insurance requires the tenant to be credit referenced if you can't get a guarantor. If I am required to have 100% wages as my income then that would mean working impractical hours 24/7! Saying that you receive UC still disqualifies you. Years ago, if you said you got working tax credits, that wouldn't go against you. It's so very different and the belt has been tightened round the neck.
Yes, I have adverse credit but even saying I've been a tenant for the last 17 years with a private landlord, and with no rent arrears doesn't seem put a dent in the decision making process with finding a property, even when I say I can provide a reference from the agent.
You say, "landlords love a good rental history", well that statement has proven to be useless if a computer system says you can't be a tenant based on your income and credit history.
And pets? Don't even get me started. You build a life in one place, suddenly find a situation where you have to move and then realise your faced with an option of parting with your elderly dogs or cats who have lived with you since their lives started. Even after offering extra money for rent.
So, what are we left with? Well, an option to take up social housing on a priority band which is becoming larger by the day, or emergency accommodation in a homeless shelter if we don't move out when notices runs out.

The Landlord, yes of course, I completely agree with you that landlords have had to be forced into taking extra measures. But, what about renters, on a low income, like myself, who have proven that the pandemic hasn't been a problem for paying rent. I agree, the ones who have deliberately taken this illness as an excuse not to pay rent have made a huge mistake, especially those who had a history of arrears before it started. Those are the ones who need to be hit with extreme measures. So, where its based on a good rental history, is it really right to exclude the ones who prove the pandemic doesn't affect paying their rent?, considering that paying rent is the most important part not other debts?
In my situation, I've even been turned down for properties with much lower rent as I'm wanting to downsize, which makes it even more confusing after telling them I've paid much higher rent for so long? One of the agencies told me it was the computers decision! I really do feel locked out. Its coming up to 18 years now and the current criteria for renting is a major barrier for good tenants. My concern is for landlords too, when a decision is made from a computer, they don't know they are bypassing a good opportunity. Ok, some renters really do take the biscuit and not affording rent during the pandemic should be the only time to slip into arrears, but, as the government helped those renters, they also announced mortgage holidays. I recently found out that a friend of mine asked for a payment break on their rent as they were actually in hospital at the time and not working. They were refused, but later found out, after getting back to work and working extra hours to pay arrears off, the landlord was having a mortgage holiday during that time he was in hospital. To add insult to injury, he was served with a section 21 a week after he came out of hospital. The landlord was respectful and explained he needed the house back to move back in because of financial difficulties, but, how can that entire situation be right? It puts families off renting because they don't want that threat affecting their children. The criteria is similar to going for a mortgage without the huge deposit, the point of renting for people who can't get a mortgage is so that it's financially easier to obtain a secure home. If the criteria gets more strict, landlords will be competing against sellers or their homes will only be attracting students or any short term renters who are future buyers.

Eviction bans are in place to avoid landlords evicting poor tenants from property during a worldwide pandemic!!!!

If a tenant who can’t afford the rent gets evicted what do you expect them to do? I suppose move to another property that is owned by another landlord, where the tenant can barely afford to pay the rent!?

If you’re a landlord we presume you have your main house you live in, and perhaps at least lucky enough to own one - if not more investment properties.

Do you think tenants have the luxury of moving to a multitude of properties within their portfolio? I don’t think so.

What a selfish, repulsive attitude. You are simply saying you identify covid is causing tenants issues - and tenants clearly can’t afford to buy houses due to the extremely high price of rent LANDLORDS charge and pocket, and now Poor people who have been scrimping and saving the pennies worth of change they have left over at the end of the month have been spent on living costs during a pandemic, and you want to EVICT them - then what - expect the council to deal with them?

Then what about mother’s with babies, who’ve escaped abuse? Men who are suicidal and need a place to live? Anyone struggling who the council need to help URGENTLY facing living on the streets - compared to a greedy landlord moaning their tenant can’t pay the rent during a pandemic. Your opinion is the tenant is being difficult when ACTUALLY they’re losing jobs left right and Center.

If YOU can’t afford your second homes because YOU haven’t planned your finances correctly it truly isn’t the tenants fault.

Disabled girl, it's just an income to them and a way up the property ladder. It doesn't matter if you are bed-ridden on oxygen, most landlords want to be certain of surplus finances and will get rid of you if its tainted. Others are in a dire state themselves, so instead of renting at a lower price, they'd happily chuck someone out knowing most, if not all, of their mortgage on that property has been paid for them.

Being “extra cautious” in tenant selection during a worldwide pandemic is being DISCRIMINATORY - if you own an investment property - and a tenant has an income - no matter where from - you should be happy you have a tenant paying rent.

A MINIMAL amount of tenants are bad tenants.

We TENANTS do everything we can to ensure we have a roof over our heads

And you have the option of multiple rooves

The landlords attitude towards tenants during this pandemic is rediculous.

Landlords think they deserve to be picky when there are people living on the streets, in abusive situations, being victimised in their homes, and tenants are being DISCRIMINATED against due to your opinion on tenants income.

I worked every day for 13years as a successful senior member of a property investment company. I made thousands of pounds for investors LIKE YOU.

I lost both my jobs due to covid and became disabled in covid. None of these things were my choice.

My disabilities won’t go away and I used to own a house. But landlords accept people with jobs - that they could lose tomorrow - over someone who will have a benefit income for the rest of her life. And I am a professional property expert. Who just happened to be affected by covid.

You describe it as a business but then you want to be so selective and picky at who lives there. If it were strictly business who cares where the money comes from if the EXTORTIONATE rent is being paid?

And landlords purchase the 2/3 bed flats and houses which push up the house prices, and price out the tenants who would be purchasing these types of properties themselves - so they are forced to rent properties they would like to buy - because boomers got lucky in the property market.

I would LOVE to not rent. I was homeless last year for six weeks and was sexually assaulted for the price lodge. So I moved into rented. And lost all my savings. I paid upfront when I first moved to rented. And then now only have my benefits.

Tenants responsibility is to pay the rent.

Your responsibility is to act like a business person and provide suitable accommodation and follow the law.

If you can’t afford to own a second home when it’s not tenanted - you shouldn’t own it - you should consider the risk of your investment - just like you would with ANY investment.

The problem is, Mr Landlord, is that your not really seeing the bigger picture. Which is riskier during the pandemic? Accepting a tenant with a job, or one with housing benefit? The ones who lose their jobs you end up screwed until the benefits are sorted and even then, the benefits may be used for the debt they got into during that bad spell, or, accepting people on benefits on the condition that Housing benefit is paid direct to you? I know which I'd chose.

Mr Landlord. My story is one of many of people in terrible situations where people can end up homeless overnight.

Landlords ARE protected by law and tenancy agreements - thats why they are invented. Lawyers and estate agents are also around to help you.

I managed over 3000 properties nationwide and you saying you've housed a number of tenants I’m sure you didn’t manage as many properties as I did but if you did and this is still your view then ... well I really don’t know what to say. I earned more than my dad when I was 21, attended investment seminars and pioneered the hybrid part of the estate agency and investments department within my company. I think it’s fair to say I do have some knowledge and experiance in this on top of just being a disabled tenant.

I studied law whilst running this part of the business and worked for the compliance department for the estate agents.

You obviously have had some troubles your self with one or two tenants, and this has given you a bad taste, so you have created a blog campaigning against housing benefit tenants in a discriminatory way. This is why I’m compelled to comment.

You show absolutely no empathy for anyone who is in a tough position.

Landlords have multiple protections in place - they often have much more money and have capital (ie property) and possibly other investments.

Tenants on the other hand usually have NO capital - so by landlords being PICKY - in a time when job losses are at an all time high, rents are at an all time high, most landlords don’t shell out to fix up their properties because yes you’re right it’s a LANDLORDS market in most cities, tenants have to put up or shutup.

Years ago agents were taking extortionate amounts of money for referencing, holding deposits, security deposits. Landlords would decide to take as much money they could get away with from a security deposit, that’s if they gave it back at all. This is the tenants hard earned money, and no matter if they looked after a property a landlord would take £50 for a dot of damage, or use the tenants money to get away with redecorating the property when it wasn’t necessary. Hence deposit schemes being invented to protect tenants. Students are hit the worst with this and still are.

A tenant is a HUMAN with a family.

A section 21 is two months notice from a rent date after the fixed term. This means a landlord can give notice to a tenant - meaning possibly a family with children - needed to move schools, move jobs, within TWO MONTHS; and if they can’t move they will face eviction. What if there is no affordable property any longer due to rent rising? They may have to move their entire life just because the landlord decided to give them notice and sometimes for no reason.

Landlords were found to be giving REVENGE EVICTIONS when they weren’t doing repairs on properties so these were banned. Imagine - you complain your boiler doesn’t work for months - and instead of your landlord fixing it - he gives you notice and moves someone else in in a hope they don’t moan about it, or if they do they get notice. Just because the landlord doesn’t want to spend £100-1200 on fixing it or a new boiler.

Your property goes UP in value, and your mortgage is paid for you. You will have a property that someone else pays for, which rent costs higher than your mortgage payments, so you are profiting not only short term but long term. You will enjoy that sweet monthly yield, but even better, no matter where your property is house prices always rise so you have a property paying for itself with tenants hard earned money, or god forbid a tenants disability money that one day you can sell for cash - and the tenants you have used their money to pay for your investment - still renting - or perhaps have managed to get a mortgage in Cumbria or a studio in the South once the kids have gone?

Who cares where the money comes from? You say it’s a business then leave it with the estate agent (who I’m sure you’ve spent a long time speaking to each estate agent in all the areas and negotiated the smallest percentage you can get even though you are extremely picky and the agent has to work even harder to find the tenants you want and discriminate 75% of the calls that come in from desperate tenants) and stop caring so much who is and isn’t on benefits.

Half the people who own property have kids and get child tax credits which is benefits.

Disabled people can’t work so you effectively mean these people don’t deserve to live in your property - because they are disabled - through no fault of their own - therefore deserve to be homeless? Change disabled to single mother, to furloughed, to mentally ill, to anything that doesn’t fit into your cookie cutter ideal of a tenant.

Yes - of course you alone can pick whoever you want in YOUR property. But that doesn’t give you the right to have an online SMEAR campaign against all tenants and especially benefit tenants, and telling everyone on the internet to “be really careful and get guarantors”. It doesn’t work like that.

Agent take references - I mean - surely the only one that really matter is your rental record. Referencing has come so far now it’s basically a CRB check. Your tenants get referenced - if you don’t even trust the referencing process and you are so hyper vigilant - perhaps being a landlord is not actually the right “career path” for you as it sounds like it’s affecting your mental health so much that you have these terrible experiences and perhaps have trauma?

The problems that landlords don't realise is, if they reject UC they are in fact rejecting a fixed amount. If they take on employed only, some of those employed people could actually be claiming housing benefit or tax credits. NOT universal credit. With universal credit being all benefits rolled into one, you actually earn more the more you work, the amount fluctuates every month to bring earnings up to a decent overall living wage. With tax credits, that income is fixed until the tenant contacts them to tell them their earnings have changed, if the tenant stops working, or earns below the hours or amount needed to claim it, it stops!. Basically, taking on employed or unemployed is an equal risk. But how is the decision making any different from separating classes? This is how it is: Upper class, more money to fall back on should they default in rent, likely to re-decorate or pay for worn out for handles or pay for a professional Gardner etc, middle class: ok, a DIY person, likely to refresh decoration cheaply, wage as their only income, not much to fall back on should they lose their job, Lower class: Low income, either working and claiming benefits or benefits only, not likely to re-decorate or pay for damage or professional services, nothing to fall back on if they default in rent.
Classes went out with the corsets and bloomers because they were discriminatory, its a mistake to be judging people based on their status or simply because they can't find guarantors. And when you say they are being cautious during the pandemic, that is not a true statement either, this has been going on a very long time. I work in a secure job that's needed more than ever during this outbreak, but it's NMW care work, so that, along with a very good track record with renting should be plenty to attract landlords. Apparently not. Credit status and a guarantor is way more important than this. So why would this prevent me from renting when you have secure information from a previous ageng thats necessary?. You'd be gaining a good renter. Not likely to be ditching one landlord theyve been paying for many years to go for a cheaper property and not pay at all. It doesn't make sense. With landlords being very choosy and as you say 'cautious' then they are obviously the kind of people who'd say no if they were asked to be a guarantor for someone else wanting to rent. See the dilemma? Yes its perfectly fine to be cautious, but there is very fine line between 'cautious' and 'refusal without consideration'.

I’m not bragging - I believe I spent two short paragraphs merely giving you my varied and broad experience of my years of experience of landlord and tenant law.

And you are belittling what I say due to ...me being disabled or on benefits? Or both? Or because I’m female? Or my name is “girl” and you presume I’m younger than you?

It wasn’t a tough read I write very eloquently due to my autism and savant abilities.

It seems as if you just don’t want to hear the truth about your discriminatory attitude toward tenants and your discriminatory post because of your own personal issues with tenants and guarantors. Perhaps there was a time you didn’t have landlord insurance in place and regretted it.

If you actually would like advice on your finances and property portfolio I’m more than happy to help because I could probably eradicate any fears for you and make you more money within a five minute chat with you; without harming tenants in the process.

If you don’t actually understand the benefits system - perhaps study it before jumping to conclusions based on outdated opinions of “housing benefit” tenants.

You might actually be able to help someone with your “property portfolio” - perhaps key front line workers, homeless ex army veterans, successful lawyers who’ve had mental breakdowns due to having to deal with discrimination in the work place?

Perhaps each unique individual has their own story? Unfortunately it’s not as easy as BENEFITS TENANT vs NON BENEFITS TENANT - and why does a tenant owe you an intricate life story - if they’ve paid rent in previous properties and can afford your place - do they really owe you ALL of their private personal data? (Yes of course references - but in this day and age they are one step away from asking for your medical records)

Peoples lives are on the line daily, people are not cows lining up at auction and you pick the most fattened calf.

Renting is a landlords market and always has and always will be.

In Germany for example tenancy agreements are five years - wouldn’t that give peace of mind to a tenant who’s just signed their 11 year old up to secondary school for five years? And peace of mind to a landlord they won’t have a property that is vacant and have to cover the mortgage themselves for that period when it is vacant?

When I say you should prepare for your investment - you truly should prepare for when your house is vacant - you can’t expect that when you purchase your investment property that it will continuously be tenanted - particularly if you have purchased in an area that has low rental demand/you haven’t decorated/you’re picky with tenants/you’re charging too much rent. You should probably have a few months of savings to cover your outgoings to cover the costs of the property. Luckily most councils allow council tax holidays when a property is empty - make sure you look this up when you’re purchasing!

You have no idea of the affect of the health and mental health on tenants moving has - in children, mums, dads, pets, stepdads, step mums, grandparents etc etc etc. People have to move their entire lives and spend hundreds on removals at the drop of a hat when given notice. This is not something they will usually have planned for and can get them into debt.

Quote me and insult me all you like. I have vast knowledge and experience - it seems to me far beyond yours - from all sides of the coin - so am able to give perhaps - better - advice on these circumstances.

I appreciate your link however I am getting along perfectly fine THANKS :)

Hi Mr Landlord , i am currently renting and have done so for best part of 20 yrs 12yrs with the previous landlord and 8 yrs with current landlord , never missed a payment in all the time renting yet my current one now is having to sell his property due to him losing his job over the pandemic crisis forcing us now to seek elsewhere . However we find its not that simple as we still need to find a guarantor even though we have an impeccable reference from our current landlord. How does that work?
Does this mean that the reference from the Landlord isn't worth the paper its written on.

And another thing ....why does a landlord require a guarantor from anyone who has been renting for 20 yrs and never missed a payment is beyond me ?

I would love to read your views on this 1

Richard, the point you raised is exactly what I'm going through. I've been renting a lot longer and still faced with the guarantor problem. It seems that AI makes the decision based on income. It doesn't matter if you've been renting 50 years with the same landlord, if the tech says no, then no it is. It could be argued with employment, if you are employed for the last 20 years, a new employer who makes a decision as a 'business deal' would see this as a great sign and hire you, but, if you've been out of work or absences, they question it. How is that any different to a 'business deal' made by a landlord? If rent payments could be included on credit files, now that, WOULD be helpful.

I have had around 10 leases in my life as a tenant, some of them quite expensive properties with monthly rents around EUR 1500, and I've just had the first landlord insist on a guarantor, which I found extremely surprising and off-putting.

They even insisted on a guarantor despite me offering to pay 12 MONTHS RENT IN ADVANCE (!) AND picture-perfect references from all previous landlords.

This was for an older cottage for 595 EUR / month. No amount of persuading helped.

I have a feeling something fishy might've been going on there, like the landlord being in arrears with their mortgage payments and their bank requiring specific terms in the lease.

Something like 15% of the UK population is foreign born. Myself, I've been 3 years here and have never missed a payment, be it rent, electric, water, credit card, anything. It's all there in my records. I make more than 40 times the raw value of the rent per annum.

And yet I'm faced with this guarantor problem.

""Why doesn’t anyone trust this person enough to be their Guarantor?""

Because I would only be comfortable requesting this from a very close family member. I would not like to approach friends or a boss asking for this favor, putting them on the spot. It's not a matter of trust, it's a matter of politeness.

How is this not discrimination? Where is this notion that one sixth of the population, you shouldn't let to, because they don't have home owning family in the UK?

Why do landlord require someone else to risk their property for zero gain, when they cannot stomach a potential risk on their own property when they are ultimately the ones who profit from it.

This is beyond greed.

There is nothing anyone could possibly say that can justify this.

The article even says “life happens", which is true, but then, you are actually landing someone else with the liability when you could have spent years collecting the rewards from your tenant, I will guarantee that the landlord won't be rewarding the guarantor with a share of the profits they have made for the duration of the tenancy before it went sour due to "life happening".

As a physically disabled buddhist, with some mental health/trauma issues I cope with, I don't party or have any friends sadly, but like to live in a tidy and quiet home with my dog. Always keep it in order. After all I spend a lot of time here.

The place I've been stuck in for 6 years, was with a slumlord, who like others have said above, do bare minimum and even promise things then withholds (psychological manipulation) even tried to just turn up while some work did happen and other times didn't communicate properly. (Their 'new' job is a counsellor which makes me laugh albeit in disgust) Who compartmentalizes humanity...?

Never not paid on time. Did have a parent act as guarantor (but was better for my healing to cut them out my life)

So now, I have this discrimination facing me trying to move. Likelihood of getting my deposit back or even reference seems doubtful, (clear how unappeasing they are) or even possibly defamatory. Getting back to a decent job would require education again, and then could I meet the pressures involved in that. So the cycle I'm stuck in feels horrid and I'll probably die sooner than the time it takes for me to save a deposit to buy.

Local housing takes a long 'prove yourself' policy and other city areas I'd not pick as would get more bullying, discrimination than where I am. I just want more somewhere peaceful, can't take all the bustle as city grows.

So many benefits the system let's these landlords get while throwing scraps at other people who pay their bills. Life is never black and white, so 'why can't this person get a guarantor' can come from a truth that actually proves innocence on their part. Life throws everyone curved balls, not even they are able to avoid life's suffering, but instead of having compassion or showing growth, unless you check all the boxes these days, you are nothing.

My brother passed away and my other brother used to work live together, so my brother wants to move closer to family so he's not alone, my daughter is moving in with him, and it is effecting her and his mental health. He is in private renting, but is finding it hard to find a private renting and a guarantor. Can someone help my brother and daughter to find a house please and thank you

I'm having the same problem struggling in getting another private rented place but all are asking for a guarantor which I don't have one, don't know many people I'm autistic and have a mild learning disability, the property I am in now never missed/late payments been here nearly 9 yrs and my rent gets paid with housing benefit and I am also for over 7 yrs on the council list but nothing is coming up, just wish landlords had more than one option when it comes to letting they're properties instead in just having a guarantor.

The comment about it being a red flag if someone doesn’t have someone willing to be their guarantor is very ignorant and actually quite moronic I’m sorry to say. I’ll explain why.

I’m a 30 year old professional, and have rented since I was a student at 18. I unfortunately don’t have very much in the way of family, and my mum has a low income and doesn’t own her house, thus disqualifying her from being a guarantor.

I have been fortunate in the past to live in places that either didn’t require a guarantor, or have lived with someone who was able to provide one.

The author would think of me as a red flag because I don’t have an anyone who could be a guarantor. My mum is my only close relative and she would not qualify, although would be happy to do it if she did. I have an uncle who would qualify but is very careful with his own finances and is a landlord himself, so wouldn’t take on a liability like that, this is nothing to do with trusting me personally. I cannot simply ask friends who have their own families and responsibilities to agree to guarantee my rent, again this is nothing about trust and is just about people not wanting to take on unnecessary risk and liability. If you don’t have close family members who are suitable to do it, then asking friends and extended family becomes more difficult, and as I can’t stress enough, being a guarantor is a big responsibility and has a lot of risk attached.

I am now in a stage in my life where I want to rent alone and have more than enough means and income to do this. I have an excellent rental history, could provide good references, would easily pass affordability checks, and have good credit ratings.

Due to the constant demands for a guarantor (without even establishing my ability to afford the property, doing references, or checking credit scores), I am finding this incredibly challenging.

I also find these comments about eliminating all the risk to be disappointing when there are systems in place already such as insurance, eviction processes etc. While it’s only human for a landlord to want to have less hurdles to jump in this regard, the elimination of all element of risk with rentals feels to be fundamentally unfair when it actually acts as a form of discrimination against people like myself who simply don’t come from the kind of background where rent guarantors are viable for me.

The author has also contradicted his own logic quite badly. One one hand he says that landlords should eliminate all elements of risk by demanding a guarantor, because the notion that a tenant might have a disaster befall them and be unable to pay rent is apparently way too much risk for a landlord to take on. On the other hand, he says it’s a red flag when a person doesn’t have anyone willing to be a guarantor, when the guarantor would be taking on personal liability and subject to the exact same risk that the landlord is terrified of. I highly doubt the author would want to be a guarantor for a friend of his even if he trusted them so it’s a moot point and it seems what’s good for the goose isn’t good for the gander to him. The whole article is about landlords reducing the risk but yet the author cannot see why a potential guarantor may worry about the risk of being a guarantor. This says a lot about the authors narrow and selfish mindset.

I agree Jack - it is basically landlords and agents pushing THEIR risk back onto tenants. You will find a good landlord, i paid two months rent up front and didn’t require one but it was a long slog getting a landlord like that . I am the same as you no family who can guarantor me. Despite that I have everything else and the letting agent said I have a A rating as a tenant through their referencing.

A lot of this is to do with Goodlord a referencing agency who many agents are using now. They use their own insurance that they sell to landlord and then hence do the references they are all in bed with each other and highly discriminatory against single parent mothers especially. Not for long once the RRB come on!

If they can’t handle to risk like any business get out of it!!