A guide to finding a UK guarantor: for international students

If you’re an international student looking for accommodation, you might face a bit of a roadblock when you're told you need a suitable UK guarantor. The good news is that there are other options. You don’t need to stress that you won't be able to find a good student house just because you’re an international student! 

In this blog, we’ll cover everything you need to know about what a UK guarantor is and the options available to you if you’re an international student studying in the UK. 

What’s a UK guarantor? 

First things first, you need to understand what a UK rent guarantor is and why they’re so important when it comes to finding a place to live.  

Many landlords and letting agents will ask for a qualified UK guarantor before they agree to rent to you. This is especially true if you’re studying at university or have just moved to the UK from abroad. The guarantor must sign an agreement stating they’ll pay your rent if you cannot.  

Who can act as an international student UK guarantor? 

Most guarantors for students are relatives or close friends, but they don’t have to be - they can be someone you know or a third-party organisation. To qualify as a guarantor, the person must have a good credit score and income. Your landlord might ask for a bank statement as proof of income and carry out a credit check. 

Importantly, the guarantor must live in the UK. This can be an issue if you’re an international student who doesn’t know anyone in the UK who can be your guarantor. But don’t panic - there are other options… 

What do you do if you can’t find a UK guarantor? 

If you don’t know anyone in the UK who would be happy to pay your rent if you’re unable, you have two alternatives. 

Pay your rent upfront  

You might not need to provide a guarantor if you agree to pay your rent in advance. If you can pay the entire year’s rent before you move in, this completely removes the risk of missed rent payments, so you likely won’t need a guarantor!  

Your landlord or letting agent might also be okay with you paying in instalments (for example, two or three times a year rather than monthly), but you’ll need to check this. 

Use a UK guarantor service for international students 

If you can’t pay your rent upfront or your landlord insists on a guarantor, you can use an international student UK guarantor service instead.  

Many companies now offer a guarantor service for international students, UK students and working professionals. These companies will act as your UK-based guarantor (and will pay your rent for you if you cannot) for a fixed fee. This fee is usually equivalent to around three weeks' rent and covers you for the entire year. Some international guarantor services will ask you to pay the fee upfront, but others will give you a monthly payment option to give you more flexibility. 

Here’s what you’ll typically need to use a guarantor service: 

• Proof of study, such as your student ID card.
• Proof of ID, such as your passport.
• A co-signer, such as a family member or friend (they’ll need to be over 18 and employed, but they won’t need to live in the UK).

All-inclusive student accommodation by UniHomes 

Once you’ve sorted out your UK guarantor, you can start looking for your perfect student house… 

UniHomes has an extensive landlord and letting agent network with all-inclusive student properties in cities across the UK. All of the student properties on our site come with all bills included. You won’t have to worry about navigating UK energy companies or setting up direct debits. Our uncapped energy means that you won’t be charged extra if you go over your predicted gas and electricity usage – giving your peace of mind all year round. 

Contact us today to learn more about how all-inclusive student accommodation works, or look at the properties for rent in your student city.