- A professional rent guarantor service acts as your guarantor when you do not have someone in the UK who can act as one for you.
- These services are especially useful for international students, expats, freelancers, self-employed tenants and renters without UK credit history.
- Rentmigo helps tenants rent in the UK without relying on family or friends, while giving landlords the reassurance they need to approve more applications.
A professional rent guarantor service is a company that acts as your rent guarantor, giving landlords the reassurance that rent will still be covered if you are unable to pay.
If you are trying to rent in the UK, you may have already been asked for a guarantor. For some people, this is easy enough.
They can ask a parent, sibling or close friend in the UK to act as a guarantor for them. That person passes the landlord’s checks, the tenancy moves forward, simple.
But for a lot of renters, especially international students, expats and people new to the UK, it is not that simple.
You might be able to afford the rent, you might have savings, you might even have a job offer or university place lined up.
But if you do not have someone in the UK who can act as your guarantor, finding a place to rent can suddenly become much harder.
That is where a professional rent guarantor service like Rentmigo can help.
Instead of relying on family or friends, Rentmigo can act as your UK-based rent guarantor, helping you secure the property you want.
Get started with Rentmigo today.
What is a rent guarantor?
A rent guarantor is someone who agrees to cover your rent if you cannot pay it.
Landlords ask for guarantors because they want extra financial reassurance before renting out their property. If something goes wrong and the tenant misses rent, the guarantor is there as financial backup.
Traditionally, a guarantor is usually:
- A parent
- A family member
- A close friend
- Sometimes a partner
But landlords do not usually accept just anyone. Most landlords want a guarantor who is based in the UK, has stable income (sometimes 2-3x the annual rent), passes credit checks and can prove they could afford the rent if needed.
Some landlords may also prefer guarantors who own property in the UK as an extra layer of financial protection.
The problem is, not everyone knows someone who fits that criteria.
If you want to understand what landlords look for in a guarantor, you can read Rentmigo’s guide on who can legally be a guarantor in the UK.
What is a professional rent guarantor service?
A professional rent guarantor service is a third-party company that acts as your guarantor instead of a person you know.
For many people who do not have someone they know to ask, these services can be a complete lifeline.
So how does it work? Well, you apply to the company, they look at your finances against the rental, and if they think you can afford it, they provide the guarantee your landlord needs.
In simple terms, if they think you can afford the rent, they act as a guarantor for you.
For tenants, especially those new to the UK, this can remove one of the biggest barriers to renting. For landlords, it gives extra reassurance that rent will still be protected if a payment is missed.
This is especially useful in the current UK rental market, where more landlords are asking for guarantors and fewer are able to rely on asking for big upfront rent payments.
If you want a more detailed breakdown of how the process works, you can also read our guide around how does a rent guarantor service work?.
Who uses professional rent guarantor services?
Professional rent guarantor services are usually used by tenants who can afford the rent but do not have anyone in the UK who can act as a guarantor for them.
This includes:
- International students
- Expats moving to the UK
- Professionals relocating for work
- Freelancers
- Contractors
- Self-employed tenants
- People without UK credit history
- Tenants whose parents live overseas
- People who do not want to involve family or friends financially
For many of these tenants, the issue is not affordability, it's having someone to back up the tenancy for them.
For example, an international student may have family support and enough money to pay rent, but their parents live overseas and are not accepted as guarantors.
An expat worker may have a strong salary and a confirmed job, but no UK credit history to point to.
Likewise, a freelancer may earn enough, but their income does not fit traditional referencing neatly.
That does not mean they are bad tenants, it just means they may need a different route.
Rentmigo has dedicated support for international students who need a rent guarantor and expat workers renting in the UK.
If you fall into one of these groups, Rentmigo can help.
Get in touch with Rentmigo today
Why are professional rent guarantor services becoming more popular?
Professional rent guarantor services are becoming more popular because the UK rental market has changed.
More people are moving here from abroad, more people work freelance or remotely, more tenants are new to the UK and do not yet have a UK credit history.
And since the Renters’ Rights Act came into play, landlords are no longer able to ask for big upfront rent payments to mitigate their risk. In the past, some international tenants were asked to pay 6 or 12 months of rent upfront if they did not have a UK guarantor. That was expensive, but it was sometimes used as a workaround.
Now, landlords can no longer ask for big upfront rent payments in most private tenancies. Additionally, new eviction laws make it harder for landlords to evict tenants who have not paid their rent on time.
So, in this riskier rental environment, many landlords are asking for guarantors instead.
This means professional rent guarantor services are becoming much more important, especially for international renters who do not have family or friends in the UK.
If you want to understand the wider market shift, read Rentmigo’s guide on why more landlords are asking for a guarantor in 2026.
How does a professional rent guarantor service work?
Most professional rent guarantor services follow a fairly simple process.
With Rentmigo, it works in three main steps.
1. Apply online
First, you complete an online application.
This usually only takes a few minutes.
You may be asked for information about:
- Your identity
- The property you want to rent (including landlord details)
- Your income
- Your employment or student status
- Your rent amount
- Your property
- Your financial situation
The aim is to understand whether you can realistically afford the rent.
Rentmigo is designed for tenants who can afford the property, but do not have a traditional guarantor.
2. Get approved
Once your application has been reviewed, you will find out whether you have been approved.
If approved, Rentmigo acts as your professional rent guarantor.
This gives your landlord or letting agent the reassurance they need to move forward with your tenancy.
It also means you do not need to ask a family member or friend to take on legal responsibility.
For many tenants, this is the point where the rental process becomes much less stressful.
3. Secure your rental property
Once your guarantor is in place, your landlord has more confidence in your application.
That can help you secure the property faster, especially in competitive rental markets like London, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds.
Instead of being held back because you do not have a UK guarantor, you can move forward with a professional solution in place.
Get started with Rentmigo’s rent guarantor service today.
How much does a professional rent guarantor service cost?
The cost of a professional rent guarantor service usually depends on your rent amount and your individual circumstances.
Some providers charge the equivalent of a few weeks’ rent per year. Others may offer payment plans or upfront fees to sign on the dotted line.
With Rentmigo, the exact cost depends on your rent and situation, but most tenants pay less than one month’s rent.
For many renters, this can be much more manageable than paying several months of rent upfront. It can also be much easier than asking family or friends to take on financial responsibility for your tenancy.
What documents do you need to get started with a professional rent guarantor service?
The documents you need will depend on whether you are a student, professional, expat or self-employed tenant.
You may need:
- Proof of ID
- Proof of income
- Bank statements
- Proof of employment
- Proof of study, if you are a student
- Property details
- Rent amount
- Visa or right to rent information, if relevant
If you are an international student, you may need a university offer letter, CAS letter or proof of enrolment.
If you are moving to the UK for work, you may need your employment contract, offer letter or payslips.
Having these documents ready can make the process much smoother.
Is a professional guarantor the same as a personal guarantor?
No, they are not exactly the same. A personal guarantor is usually someone you know, whereas a professional rent guarantor service is a company that provides that reassurance instead.
Both exist to make landlords feel more comfortable approving a tenancy.
But for tenants, a professional service can be much easier because:
- You do not need to involve family or friends
- You do not need to rely on someone passing landlord checks
- You do not need a UK-based personal guarantor
- The process is usually online
- It can be faster
- It keeps personal relationships separate from your tenancy
If you are unsure which option is right for you, Rentmigo’s guide on guarantor vs rent guarantor service explains the difference in more detail.
Do landlords accept professional rent guarantor services?
Yes, most landlords and letting agents do accept professional rent guarantor services, especially as they become more common.
But acceptance can still depend on the landlord, letting agent and property.
That is why it helps to use a service that can speak to landlords and explain how the guarantee works.
Rentmigo is also designed to support landlords directly. Through Rentmigo’s landlord service, landlords can say yes to more tenants without taking on extra risk.
For landlords, Rentmigo helps reduce arrears risk, widen the tenant pool and support renters who may otherwise be declined because they do not fit traditional referencing rules.
For tenants, that means more opportunity to secure the property they want.
What happens if you miss a rent payment?
If you miss a rent payment, the guarantor service helps make sure the landlord receives the rent under the terms of the guarantee.
However, that does not mean the rent disappears.
You are still responsible for paying rent under your tenancy agreement.
A professional rent guarantor service is there to give landlords reassurance and help tenants pass referencing. It is not a way to avoid paying rent.
Why tenants choose Rentmigo as their professional rent guarantor service
Rentmigo was created to make renting fairer and easier for tenants who do not fit traditional referencing rules.
That includes people who are financially capable of renting, but may still struggle because they do not have a UK guarantor.
Rentmigo is useful if you:
- Are new to UK credit
- Are working internationally
- Are self-employed
- Are an international student
- Are an expat worker
- Do not have family in the UK
- Want to avoid asking friends or relatives to take on financial risk
The process is simple, online and designed to help tenants move forward quickly.
If you want to learn more about the company, see About Rentmigo.
