Tenancy Guarantor Form

As a landlord, there may be times when you need a tenant to name a guarantor. This will ensure you still receive your rent payments even if the tenant runs into financial difficulties.

We know that navigating the world of tenancy agreements with guarantors can be difficult, especially if you're a new landlord or have never needed to ask for a guarantor in the past.

To help support you, the NRLA has produced a number of pre-tenancy resources that will assist you with the process of signing up a guarantor. This includes rent guarantor form templates that you can use to ensure your contract with the guarantor is legally binding and that no details are overlooked.

Join the NRLA today for unlimited access to resources, guides, templates, and advice that will support you throughout your tenancy and beyond.

A guarantor is someone who agrees to pay the rent or damages relating to a tenancy if the tenant is unable to pay. Normally they will be a family member or close personal friend of the tenant. Typically they will also be a homeowner in the UK.

In most tenancies, the guarantor will not be necessary as most tenants pay their rent on time and leave the property in a good state when they leave. However, by securing a guarantor, landlords can have peace of mind that if their tenant does breach their obligations they will be able to recoup their losses later on.

Who can be a guarantor?

Anyone can be a guarantor as long as they're in stable long-term employment and are a UK homeowner. Because there's such a high level of trust involved, tenants will usually choose a close relative or friend to be their guarantor.

As a landlord, you'll need to carry out a background check on the guarantor in the same way you would reference your tenants. That means credit searches, as well as asking for the following on the application form:

• ID and personal details
• Legal history
• Employment history
• Current and previous addresses
• Character references (from an accountant or lawyer)
• Bank references
• Consent for you to do a credit search
• Signature

What exactly is a guarantor responsible for?

This depends on the terms of the agreement. The guarantor agreement needs to be clear about the guarantor's responsibilities and obligations. For example:

• Is the guarantor only liable for unpaid rent, or can they also be held responsible in situations such as property damage?
• In shared accommodation, does one guarantor cover the whole tenancy, or are there separate guarantors for each share of the rent?
• Does the guarantor agreement last only until the end of the initial tenancy period, or does it extend to future terms as well?
• Will the guarantor be liable for changes to the tenancy agreement such as rent increases?

Getting the wording correct on a guarantor lease agreement is crucial. It is a legal contract that the courts will strictly enforce according to how it is worded. For this reason, it's strongly recommended that you use a guarantor form template to ensure no details are overlooked.

All NRLA members have access to a guarantor template, giving landlords peace of mind that the guarantor is legally bound to the terms of the agreement.

What is included in a guarantor agreement?

Although there is no statutory document or format for a guarantor agreement, the agreement should clearly set out what the guarantor will be responsible for paying. 

A guarantor agreement should also include:

• The date of the agreement
• When the agreement will end
• The names and signatures of the guarantor and the landlord
• The tenant's name
• The property details

The guarantor's responsibilities and obligations need to be laid out clearly in the document. Otherwise, there's a risk that the agreement won't hold up in a court of law.

The agreement shouldn't include any terms that create a 'significant imbalance' between the parties involved, as the courts may view that as unfair. If a guarantor thinks a term is unfair and decides to take you to court, it will be up to the court to decide whether the guarantor has to pay.

Can I include a Guarantor agreement in the tenancy?

Guarantor agreements can be part of the tenancy agreement, but it's best practice for the guarantor document to be separate from the tenancy agreement and constructed as a deed as it is safer for you and allows for additional flexibility (like adding a guarantor after the tenancy is entered into).

A deed must be signed with a witness present to ensure the guarantor's signature is legitimate.

Access all the guarantor resources you need with the NRLA

Guarantor documents don't need to be lengthy, but it is crucial that you get them right. Using the NRLA's guarantor tenancy agreement template will save you lots of time and effort and give you peace of mind that your agreement will hold up in court should you ever need to rely on it.

To ensure the guarantor is legally bound to guarantee the terms of the tenancy, the NRLA provides a deeds of guarantee that has been designed with the Renters' Rights Act in mind. 

How does the Renters' Rights Act affect guarantor agreements?

Once the Renters' Rights Act 2025 comes into force on 1st May 2026, there will be both direct and indirect changes to guarantees of assured tenancies. 

Indirectly, guarantor agreements are likely to become more popular with landlords once the Renters' Rights Act is in force. Particularly given that tenants can build up to three months of rent arrears before landlords have a reasonable chance of successfully regaining possession.

Death of the tenant

However, the Act also directly changes Guarantor agreements by setting out restrictions on when rent can be charged after the death of a tenant. 

If your guarantor agreement is signed on or after 1st May 2026, and it is related to an assured tenancy, then you will not be able to demand payment of rent for the period after a 'relevant tenant' has died. This occurs where:

• There is only one tenant on the tenancy and they die; or
• There are joint tenants on the tenancy and the last tenant dies; or
• The guarantor is a family member of one or more tenants, and all of the tenants who are family members of the guarantor have died.

If any of these three situations occur, then the guarantor is not liable to pay any rent due from the day the relevant tenant dies. This includes apportioning the rent for the rental period in which they died.

Depending on the wording in your guarantee agreement,  the guarantor would remain liable for any rent due before that day, and any other costs that might have accrued (such as from damage to the property).

What counts as a family member?

The Act defines family member of the guarantor broadly. It will apply where someone meets the following criteria:

• The spouse, civil partner or cohabitee of the Guarantor;
• The child, grandchild, parent, grandparent, siblings (including half-blood or step siblings), niece, nephew, aunt, uncle, or cousin of the guarantor, their spouse, civil partner or cohabitee, or the spouse, civil partner or cohabitee of any such person.

Tenants can become family members of the guarantor after entering into the agreement, but they won't stop being family members through divorce

Does it affect existing guarantee agreements?

This change is not retrospective and does not affect guarantor agreements signed before 1st May 2026.

It also doesn't affect guarantees for other types of tenancy. For example, it would not affect a tenancy where the landlord is a resident in the same building. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a PDF reader to use these documents?

The NRLA PDFs are viewable in your web browser. However, if you want to save the information you insert in the document you will need to open it in a PDF reader before filling out the forms.

If you do not have a PDF reader or you want to find out how stop opening PDFs in your web browser then see our guide on using Adobe Reader.

Should I check and reference the guarantor?

It is in your interests to ensure that the guarantor is capable of paying for the rent or damages. As such it is highly recommended that any guarantor be fully credit checked and referenced.

How can I check and reference my guarantors?

The NRLA provides both credit checks and tenant referencing services as one of the benefits of membership.

What should I be looking for in a guarantor?

Typically, a UK based home-owner with sufficient income to pay the rent and their own mortgage is ideal. Without meeting these requirements it may not be possible to claim back any damages you are owed.

What should I give the guarantor in addition to this document?

It is important that guarantors understand what they are agreeing to guarantee. You should provide the guarantor with a draft copy of the tenancy agreement alongside the deed of guarantee and give them time to read and understand the agreement before signing. 

Can the Deed be electronically signed and witnessed?

The Law Society's recent report on electronic signatures has indicated that there are potentially issues proving that someone has witnessed a deed being signed electronically. For example, via video link.

As a result, you are strongly recommended to ensure the guarantor and witnesses are providing a 'wet' signature (with a pen) with both parties present to witness the deed.

The local authority has identified a housing benefit overpayment from a previous tenant. Can I reclaim this from their guarantor?

In these cases, you would not be able to chase the guarantor.

However, provided you were not responsible for the overpayment, then the local authority should be chasing your former tenant instead. As a result, you should be able to successfully challenge any overpayment demands from the local authority.

For more details on this see our guide on challenging overpayment demands.