- A rent guarantor service acts as your guarantor when you do not have someone in the UK who can act as one for you.
- The process is usually: apply online, get assessed, get approval, then the service works with your landlord or letting agent.
- Rentmigo helps international students, expats, self-employed renters and people without a UK credit history secure rentals without relying on family or friends.
A rent guarantor service works by acting as your guarantor, giving landlords reassurance that rent will be covered if you are unable to pay.
If you are trying to rent in the UK, there is a good chance you will be asked for a guarantor. For some people, that is easy enough to sort out.
Landlords or letting agents will want you to ask a parent, relative or close friend in the UK to agree to pay your lease if you are no longer able to do so. In the UK, this is legally binding.
The problem is, for many renters, finding someone to act as their guarantor for them is not that easy.
You may be an international student whose family live overseas, an expat moving to the UK for work, you may even be self-employed, freelancing or still building your UK credit history.
Or, you just may not know anyone in the UK who can act as a guarantor for you.
That is where a rent guarantor service can help.
Instead of relying on a personal guarantor, you apply through a professional guarantor service like Rentmigo. If approved, Rentmigo acts as your guarantor so your landlord has the reassurance they need to offer you the property.
If you are trying to rent in the UK without a UK guarantor, Rentmigo can help.
Get started with Rentmigo today.
What is a rent guarantor?
A rent guarantor is someone who agrees to cover your rent if you are unable to pay.
In most cases, this would normally be a parent, family member or close friend.
But landlords usually have strict criteria around who they will accept.
A guarantor normally needs to:
- Live in the UK
- Have a stable income
- Pass credit checks
- Show strong financial history
- Be able to afford the rent if needed
- Sometimes own property in the UK
This is why many renters struggle.
Even if someone wants to help, they may not pass the checks. And if your family live overseas, many landlords will not accept them as guarantors at all.
That does not mean you cannot rent, it just means you may need another route.
See our guide around Who can legally be a guarantor in the UK?
What is a rent guarantor service?
A rent guarantor service is a company that acts as your guarantor instead of a person you know.
Rather than asking family or friends to take on legal responsibility for you, you apply online and the service checks whether you can realistically afford the rent. If approved, the company provides the guarantee your landlord is looking for.
For tenants, it can make renting much easier.
For landlords, it reduces the risk of accepting a tenant who may not have a traditional UK guarantor, UK credit history or previous UK landlord references.
This is especially useful in the current rental market, where landlords are asking for guarantors more often due to the Renters’ Rights Act.
Who uses rent guarantor services?
Rent guarantor services are most useful for tenants who can afford the rent but do not have someone to act as a guarantor for them.
This includes:
- International students
- Expats moving to the UK
- Professionals moving to the UK for work
- Freelancers
- Contractors
- Self-employed tenants
- People without UK credit history
- Tenants whose parents live overseas
- People who do not want to ask family or friends to take on legal responsibility
Rentmigo was built for exactly this situation.
If you can afford the rent but do not have someone in the UK who can act as your guarantor, we can help you move forward.
Get started with Rentmigo today.
How does a rent guarantor service work?
Most rent guarantor services follow a similar process.
With Rentmigo, it is designed to be simple and online.
1. You apply online
The first step is completing a short online application, this usually only takes a few minutes.
You will usually be asked about:
- Your rental property (note: we will also need your landlord to sign up!)
- Your rent amount
- Your income
- Your employment or student status
- Your financial situation
- Your ability to afford the tenancy
The aim is to understand whether the rent is realistic for you. This is important, because a rent guarantor service is not there to help people take on rent they can't afford.
It is there to help people who can afford the rent but do not have a traditional guarantor.
2. Your affordability is assessed
Once you apply and your landlord signs up too, Rentmigo looks at your finances.
This may include looking at your income, savings, employment, study status or other financial details.
The goal is simple: to check whether the rent is affordable for you.
This is very different from the traditional guarantor process, where everything depends on whether you know someone in the UK with the right income, credit history and documents.
Rentmigo focuses on whether you can realistically manage the rent.
3. You get a decision
Once your application has been reviewed, you will find out whether you have been approved, often within 24 hours.
If approved, Rentmigo can act as your guarantor for the tenancy.
That means your landlord does not need you to provide a personal guarantor and can move forward with your rental application.
4. Rentmigo works with your landlord or letting agent
Once approved, Rentmigo can work directly with your landlord or letting agent to act as your guarantor. This helps give them the reassurance they need to move forward with your tenancy.
For landlords, this is important because they want to know that the rent is protected if something goes wrong.
For tenants, it means you can secure the property you love.
5. You move in
Once the paperwork is done and your landlord is happy, you can move into your new home!
How long does a rent guarantor service take to be approved?
Rent guarantor services are usually designed to be fast, with approvals happening within 24 hours in most cases.
With Rentmigo, the online application is quick and most people can complete it in under ten minutes.
Because the process is online, decisions can often be made quickly too.
That matters because the UK rental market moves fast. If you are applying for properties in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds or other competitive cities, delays can cost you the property.
Having your guarantor ready can make your application feel much stronger.
What documents do you need to apply with Rentmigo?
The documents you need will depend on your situation, but you may be asked for:
- Proof of ID
- Proof of income
- Bank statements
- Proof of employment
- Proof of study, if you are a student
- Property details and landlord contact details
- Rent amount
- Visa or right to rent information, if relevant
The more prepared you are, the smoother the process will be.
If you are applying as an international student, you may need your university offer letter or proof of enrolment.
If you are applying as a professional, you may need payslips, bank statements or your employment contract.
How much does a rent guarantor service cost?
The cost of a rent guarantor service depends on your rent and individual circumstances. With Rentmigo, most tenants pay less than one month’s rent.
For many tenants, this can be much more manageable than trying to pay several months of rent upfront.
That is especially important now that landlords in England are much more restricted in asking for big upfront rent payments under the Renters’ Rights Act.
Do landlords accept rent guarantor services?
Many landlords and letting agents do accept professional rent guarantor services, especially as they become more common in the UK rental market.
However, you have to make sure it's legitimate.
That is why it helps to use a service like Rentmigo that can work with the landlord or letting agent directly.
The key thing landlords want is reassurance.
If they understand how the service works and feel confident in the guarantee, it can help your application move forward.
Why rent guarantor services are becoming more important
Rent guarantor services are becoming more important because the UK rental market has changed.
- More landlords are asking for guarantors.
- More tenants are moving internationally.
- More people are self-employed or working in flexible ways.
And since the Renters’ Rights Act came into force, landlords can no longer routinely rely on big upfront rent payments as a way to reduce risk.
That means guarantors are becoming a bigger part of the rental process.
For international students, expats and people without UK credit history, this can create a real barrier.
Rentmigo helps bridge that gap.
See our guide around Why more landlords are asking for a guarantor in 2026.
So, how does Rentmigo work?
Rentmigo works in three simple steps.
- Apply online
- Get approved
- Move in
You complete a short online application, Rentmigo assesses whether the rent is affordable, and if approved, we act as your guarantor.
If you are ready to rent but do not have a UK guarantor, Rentmigo can help.
