Our guarantor application has been declined

[Ralphinesonvoice]

I Hope you can help me. My dd has asked me to be a guarantor for her new place she is going to get in 3rd year in Bristol but we have been declined because we are private tenants. My father in law can’t help as he is too old. What can we do ? I don’t want her to lose her place because of us :(

Can you pay for the rent up front?

Yes we could / could that work ?

Oh this is horrid isn't it! Some landlords will accept 6 months/1 year upfront payment in lieu of a guarantor, so its worth asking them if there's an alternative, but unfortunately there's not much else you can do if the landlord will only accept homeowner guarantors.

If there is no one in the family who is eligible as guarantor, then the only other thing to do is ask the university if they can help find alternative accommodation. What did they do for 2nd year?

This paragraph: “Please note that if there is not a suitable UK guarantor provided the full rent for the fixed term of the tenancy will be payable in advance prior to 1st June or one month prior to the start of the tenancy if not a 1st July start date, without exception.
You will need to provide a new guarantor in order for your application to proceed.”

They would take rent upfront but still need a guarantor ? I don’t understand

They are in a big house with 7 other people

Could we pay the all rent upfront by credit card ?

I think the second sentence only applies if the rent isn't paid up front.

It's a lucky escape you could end up liable for everyone.

Speak to the letting agent. They are very likely to accept it.

There are also guarantor companies who will act as a guarantor, for a fee. Foreign students often use these. You can google them.

Oh dear, I don’t have much useful to say, but I do empathise with you, as ds is jumping through the hoops as we speak, to try and secure a place for his second year in Bristol. A friend returning to uni took his passport down for him last week and we’ve just got the guarantor form tonight. It seems really hard to get anything. I hope the advice on this thread is helpful. Fingers crossed for your dd (and ds!)

It's a lucky escape you could end up liable for everyone

The rental agreements tend to be for individuals but the landlord only proceeds if the full number of people (usually a friend group) signs up. So the students sign individually and then l/l signs each agreement once they have 6 signed into idk tenancy agreements.

I have a DC at Bristol and on the whole the accommodation process and landlords seem very slick. Certainly far more do than in my day ancient

either pay a year up front or check fil is really too old. DC had a roommate with a grandparent as a guarantor as parent was overseas.

Most won’t take credit cards for rent when we asked (we would have put it on a 0% deal) but they said no but you could check.

You can buy guarantor insurance for £100 a year who then chase any tenants for you too.

If you pay for the year upfront I think she would be okay.

I think that’s just a crappily written clause and is intended to mean rent up front a month ahead of start date OR a guarantor.

I would assume bank transfer only though,

She is in a house of 8 now but moving into next flat with just one friend. The friend is from overseas so we needed to be the guarantor but I’m a foreigner too but my husband is uk but we are private tenants. My fil is 80 years old and they don’t want anyone over 70 years old. We don’t have other families unfortunately. It’s so unfair, we have never missed a rent payment in 20 years and our credit score is excellent:( I feel like a loser and I’m letting down my daughter

At the uni I work at in London we act as guarantors for all students (primarily overseas students, but there are a lot in your position too) who require it for private rentals. They just have to complete some forms and then if the student defaults on their rent payment it gets added to their "bill" at the uni where they can set up a "friendlier" repayment plan than they'd be offered directly by the letting agents. Is this is an option? She might have to do some digging on the website and/or talk to someone in student support.

The guarantor agreements I’ve signed for my dc state that my liability is limited to my dc’s share of the rent.

I agree the next stop should involve talking to the university about how they can help - plenty of students will be in this position nowadays and it seems increasingly unrealistic. I read about someone who was no longer acceptable as a guarantor for their adult child - because they'd just retired from a job as a medical consultant ...

Speak to the agent. For many landlords money up front - negotiable as to how much - is acceptable. Some landlords will need either this or a satisfactory credit check (ie a guarantor) for their landlord insurance. For others it will be negotiable. For example I have taken six months up front from students from China, because exchange controls limit how much they can get out of the country in one go.

@Ralphinesonvoice if they're at Bristol Uni there is some info and a suggestion here: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/accommodation/privately-rented/finding-private-accommodation/tenancies-and-terms/#guarantors

That's odd, I'm a guarantor of my DD's flat, both current year and new flat for next year and none of them have asked me whether I'm foreign (I am). They I have asked my earnings, where I work, home address and whether I'm private tenant (I am ) and never had any issues at all.

There are a few different companies like this one housinghand.co.uk that will act as a guarantor.
We needed a letter stating we could afford the rent from our accountant due to being self employed and not having payslips. I think they will also accept proof of savings. The previous year my daughter had rented from Student Cribs (have properties in most cities) and they didn't require any of this.

In my dd house one girl had this issue. She paid deposit plus 6 months rent at start of tenancy and the 6 months is credited for the final 6 months of the tenancy and she paid the first 6 months as everyone else

I think there's a comma missing after provided.

It says:
“Please note that if there is not a suitable UK guarantor provided the full rent for the fixed term of the tenancy will be payable in advance prior to 1st June or one month prior to the start of the tenancy if not a 1st July start date, without exception.
You will need to provide a new guarantor in order for your application to proceed.”

To me, this means that if there's no guarantor, you need to pay a full year's rent before 1 June. I won't endeavour to disentangle the rest of the sentence. Whoever wrote this should be sent for a writing course.

We were in a similar position when DS was at uni. We had to use Housing Hand, which, although expensive, did allow DS to rent with his friends.

It seems just another barrier to those well less well off backgrounds going to university.