Guarentor companies

[Shaniac]

Has anyone used a guarentor company to rent a flat? In a but of a desperate situation vus a vis no job, no guarentor, no credit history. Thanks

Using a guarantor company can be expensive and you would need to pass their checks as well regards income and credit so this may not be an option. Can you be more specific about your situation?

Thank you thats disappointing.

Situation is non uk citizen. No credit history. Needs to stay in uk (wont go into details). Not qualified for benefits. Needs to find a job. Been staying at friends houses and ex paying friends rent and utilities for all. So no job no money and no credit history or references.

Forgive me for asking OP, but is the person in this country legally? It doesn't sound like you / they currently have any ties to the country and have very little history here if they've been staying with friends and have no references.

If it's the case that they're not here legally or they're on a visa which will soon be running out then I doubt a guarantor company would touch them.

It's not unusual and doesn't mean they are an illegal immigrant. Young people from homes with a poorer background often have no guarantor, I see it often in my line of work.

You don't need a credit history for landlord checks. It's just a check of public records to see if you have CCJs, IVAs or bankruptcy. "No credit history" is not a problem like it would be for a mortgage.

Of course that doesn't solve the "no money" problem

No not here illegally. Pre settled status. In desperate need of somewhere to live asap. At wits end trying to find places.

Unfortunately given the information they are unlikely to meet criteria for using a guarantor company and will certainly need to produce the correct right to rent documentation before anyone will issue a tenancy.
It sounds like they would not be able to produce a deposit for a rental property either. Without benefits or an income I cannot see how they would be looking to rent, can they not continue to live where they are for the time being or perhaps approach another friend? There maybe some charities that could help, maybe Shelter could give advice?

Are the estate agents still carrying out the in depth checks after their fees were banned?

Deposit can be found (by me). Rent paid by childrens father. Awful situation.

Credit checks do form part of the referencing process, if you have no credit history in the UK you will usually be asked for an upfront payment or a guarantor.

Df would want to be guarentor but is already guarentor for his parents and rents hisbown property so not sure he could guarentor another property.

Spareroom has rooms for rent and if you find private landlords they often give the room with a weeks deposit and no checks. Do be very careful though and only hand over money once you've seen the room and have a working set of keys in your hand.

@ChristmasAlone yes in-depth checks are still carried out but the cost is no longer passed to the prospective tenant. If a landlord wants insurance these checks have to be passed.

Upfront payment is possible up to about £600. So about one or 2 months rent price.

Ah sorry, if they have children then a room is not an option.

Thanks have been on spare room and open rent but landlords no longer responding and its the only property in the area needed. Its such a mess.

@Shaniac if the children's father is undertaking to pay her rent is he in a position to stand as guarantor or have I misunderstood the situation?

@Worried74 sorry i was saying he is happy to be guarentor but he rents a place of his own and is guarentor to his parents property and is not sure if he can go guarentor again on a 2nd property especially as hes not a home owner.

@Shaniac ok was not sure who DF was. I completely understand that it is unlikely he could be guarantor for another property and payment in advance tends to be for the full tenancy term rather than 1 or 2 months.
I am sorry I cannot be more helpful, has she approached the local council although I am not sure if she would qualify for assistance?

Thanks for any help anyway its just a shitty stressful situation for so many people right now.

Credit checks do form part of the referencing process

Not quite right. Landlords can only see the "public" part of a credit check. Far less info than on the full check a mortgage company might see.

You can have ££££s in credit card arrears and unpaid defaults and still pass a tenant check as long as you have no adverse history on the public record, which is IVA, CCJ, bankruptcy and not much else.