- You can rent in London without a guarantor, but it can make securing a property harder, especially when landlords have multiple applicants to choose from.
- You may be able to make your application stronger with proof of savings or previous landlord references, but some landlords will still ask you to have a guarantor.
- If you can afford the rent but do not have someone in the UK who can act as your guarantor for you, Rentmigo can help.
You can rent in London without a guarantor, but it may not be the easiest task. The problem is that London is the UK's most competitive rental market. That means every flat or house is likely to have multiple applicants, so having something missing from your paperwork may work against you.
Finding a property is one thing, securing it before someone else does is another.
London rents are high, good properties move quickly, and landlords can often choose between several tenants who all want the same home.
So if one applicant has a permanent UK job, good credit history, previous landlord references and a guarantor ready to go, while another needs the landlord to make a few exceptions, you can probably guess who is easier to approve.
That does not mean you cannot rent without a guarantor.
It just means you need to understand why the landlord is asking for one and what you can offer instead.
And if the only thing holding your application back is not having someone in the UK who can act as your guarantor, Rentmigo may be able to help.
Apply to Rentmigo today and see if we can act as your professional rent guarantor.
Do you need a guarantor to rent in London?
No, you do not always need a guarantor to rent in London. In fact, plenty of tenants rent without one.
If you have a stable income, pass affordability checks, have a decent UK credit history and can provide good references, the landlord may be happy to approve you without asking for anything else.
But if there is something they cannot easily verify, or your income is up and down, that is when a guarantor often comes into the picture.
You are more likely to be asked for one if you:
- Are an international student
- Have recently moved to the UK
- Do not have UK credit history
- Are self-employed or freelance
- Earn your income overseas
- Have recently started a new job
- Are renting for the first time
- Do not quite meet standard affordability checks
Being asked for a guarantor does not necessarily mean the landlord thinks you are unreliable. In many cases, it just means they do not have enough information to feel completely comfortable with the application.
A guarantor gives them that extra reassurance.
Why is renting in London without a guarantor harder?
Renting in London without a guarantor is harder because competition gives landlords more choice.
That is really what it comes down to. London has some of the highest rents in the country, and the best-priced properties can attract a lot of interest very quickly.
The average London rent was £2,207 per month in July 2026, according to HomeLet, and rents were 6% higher than the same month a year earlier.
With that much money involved, landlords naturally want to feel confident that the person moving in can keep up with the rent.
And if they have five strong applications sitting in front of them, they do not necessarily need to choose the one that needs extra checks or explanations.
This is where tenants who are new to London can get caught out.
You might have more than enough money, you might have a great job, you might have rented responsibly for years.
But if all of that history sits outside the UK, the landlord may not be able to see it in the way they are used to. That can put you at a disadvantage.
If your landlord is happy with everything else but wants a guarantor before they proceed, Rentmigo can act as your professional guarantor.
Who can be a guarantor in London?
A guarantor is usually a parent, family member or close friend who agrees to cover the rent if you cannot pay it.
In theory, that sounds simple. In practice, landlords can be quite strict about who they will accept.
A guarantor will usually need to:
- Live in the UK
- Have a stable income
- Have a good UK credit history
- Earn enough to cover your rent if needed
- Sometimes own a home in the UK
They will normally have to go through their own referencing checks too. This is where a lot of people get stuck.
You may have someone who is willing to help, but that does not automatically mean the landlord will accept them.
Your parents might live overseas, your relative might be retired, your friend might rent rather than own their home.
Or they may simply not earn enough to meet the landlord's guarantor threshold.
So the question is not always “Do you know someone who can be your guarantor?”
Sometimes it is “Do you know someone who fits the landlord's exact criteria?”
And for a lot of renters in London, the answer is no.
Why do international renters struggle to find a guarantor?
International renters often struggle because the people they would naturally ask for help do not live in the UK.
This is especially common for expats and international students.
Your parents may comfortably cover the rent if something went wrong, but because they live abroad, the landlord may still say no.
The reason is normally practical.
UK-based guarantors are easier for landlords to reference and, if necessary, legally pursue for unpaid rent. Trying to enforce an agreement against someone living in another country is much more complicated.
That is why international tenants often end up needing another option.
If this sounds familiar, Rentmigo can help. We work with tenants who can afford the rent but do not have someone suitable in the UK to guarantee it for them.
Apply today and see if we can help you secure your London home.
Can you use savings instead of a guarantor?
Sometimes, yes. If you have strong savings, some landlords may accept that as evidence that you can comfortably afford the tenancy.
This can work well if you are:
- Between jobs
- Newly self-employed
- Moving to the UK
- Taking a career break
- Receiving irregular income
- Living off savings temporarily
Bank statements can help show that the money is there, but whether the landlord accepts that is completely up to them.
Some will look at your circumstances and be perfectly happy, others use stricter referencing systems that expect regular monthly income and may still ask for a guarantor.
You can be financially secure and still fail a very rigid referencing process. Alongside this, if they still want a guarantor, you may need to look at a professional service.
Can you pay six months' rent upfront instead?
No, landlords can no longer ask for six or twelve months' rent upfront for most new private tenancies in England.
This is worth mentioning because a lot of older advice about renting in London still tells tenants to do exactly that. For years, paying rent upfront was one of the main ways international renters got around not having a UK guarantor.
That changed when the Renters' Rights Act came into force in May 2026.
For most new private tenancies, landlords can now only ask for one month's rent in advance once the tenancy agreement has been signed. So that old workaround is no longer available in the same way.
And because landlords have lost one of the easiest ways they used to reduce risk, guarantors are becoming more important.
This matters especially for international tenants, who were some of the people most likely to rely on making big upfront payments in the past.
Can a professional guarantor help you rent in London?
Yes, a professional guarantor can help you rent in London if the landlord wants a guarantor and you do not have a family member or friend to ask.
Instead of asking someone you know, you use a specialist company like Rentmigo.
You apply online, the company reviews your financial situation and, if you are approved, it becomes your guarantor for the tenancy.
That gives the landlord the extra reassurance they wanted without you having to ask a relative to take on financial responsibility.
But for many tenants, it is one of the easiest ways to get around the “we need a UK guarantor” problem.
If your landlord accepts Rentmigo, you can apply online and we may be able to guarantee your tenancy within a few hours.
So, how do you rent in London without a guarantor?
You can rent in London without a guarantor, but your options depend on why the landlord is asking for one in the first place.
If you have a strong income and pass referencing, you may not need one at all.
If your finances are slightly more complicated, you may be able to show savings, overseas income, employment contracts or strong landlord references instead.
Students can also check whether their university offers guarantor support, while some private landlords may be more flexible when reviewing your individual circumstances.
But sometimes, none of that changes the answer.
The landlord wants a guarantor, and you do not have one.
That is exactly where a professional rent guarantor service like Rentmigo can help.
We work with tenants who can afford the rent but do not have a suitable UK-based friend or family member to guarantee it for them.
If you have found a London property you want and the only thing standing between you and the keys is a guarantor, apply to Rentmigo today and see if we can help you secure it.
