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Original poster

We don't want to be rent guarantors!

51 replies

Shootingstar2289 · 22/06/2017 19:00

Hi all, not sure if this is the right category or not. Please forgive me if it's not.

My brother (20) is a student who will be starting his third year in September. He will be sharing a house with other students.

Today, he asked us to be his rent guarantor. We are in a comfortable financial situation, but certainly not a financial situation to pay somebody else's rent.

As far as I know, my brother has always paid his rent but anyone could fall behind. I assume the other students would have their own guarantors but what if theirs weren't in a financial situation to pay.. I know little about it so bear with me.

My brother is only studying and not working at all. I assume most students work part time in the evenings for extra cash, so this worries me a little as he's not earning anything for extra money.

My OH would be the named guarantor as he is the earner here - Stay at home Mum here! My OH isn't comfortable with this. His own Mother owes thousands from when my OH's sister and her ex got into rent arrears. She wasn't in a position to pay - therefore she has thousands of debt from it.

I feel guilty for not wanting to do it but is it really my OH's responsibility? My parents aren't in a great financial situation. My grandparents have fair amount of savings but I read that over 75's cannot be guarantors.

Advice?

OP posts:
MidnightVelvetthe7th · 22/06/2017 19:04

If you don't want to do it then say no, you're not obliged to at all.

I always worked at uni, through every year, its fairly normal.

Original poster
Shootingstar2289 · 22/06/2017 19:15

Thank you! Unfortunately my family are people who like to make me feel extremely guilty so I have this feeling guilt hanging over me tonight!

OP posts:
eggsandwich · 22/06/2017 19:17

I would say don't do it, he's 20 so old enough to stand on his own too feet, he should at least be seeking part time work while studying.

I speak as a landlord as well, personally I don't accept guarantors as previously I had my tenants mother as guarantor, tenant got into arrears tried to contact the mother she had emigrated so I had no comeback.

I also think that in some cases the tenant doesn't take paying the rent as a priority if they have a guarantor to fall back on.

peukpokicuzo · 22/06/2017 19:18

Only ever be a rent guarantor if you would be able to pay the whole rent for the whole contract as this is what you are effectively agreeing to.

Another thing to be cautious of with student lets is that the guarantors are effectively guaranteeing the rent for the whole house because of a "jointly and severally liable" clause.

I don't think it is fair of your brother to ask your OH to do this.

Notreallyarsed · 22/06/2017 19:20

I've had a few requests from people asking us to act as guarantors. My answer is always no. There is not a hope in hell I'd risk our home and our kids' security for anyone else. If that makes me a cunt so be it.

PlymouthMaid1 · 22/06/2017 19:20

I had to refuse this request from my own daughter as I knew that it would ruin me if i had to make good on the guarantee. She didn't really understand what a big ask it was.

ExplodedCloud · 22/06/2017 19:20

You'd need to be really sure you were only liable for his rent and be prepared to lose it all.

Original poster
Shootingstar2289 · 22/06/2017 19:28

Thanks all. You have reassured me that I am not just being unreasonable. I don't think anyone in my family understands what a big ask it is.

When I was renting (home owner now) my grandparents were my guarantors. They had no problem with this, I worked, I was sensible and I'd saved saved saved for years and never really been behind on anything. My brother is always broke, I really think he should be working part time. Not just for money, but to build experience in the working world too.

OP posts:
MinorRSole · 22/06/2017 19:38

I worked through uni too, most of us did. Never needed a guarantor and would never be one! Yanbu to say no and shouldn't feel guilty for not wanting to take responsibility for someone else's potential debt

Ellisandra · 22/06/2017 19:39

If he doesn't work, where does the money come from for his rent?
If it is from savings or student loan, then I would consider it if he gave all the money to me and I paid the rent for him. That way, I would know that the money was there to cover it.
Also, only if I was only guaranteeing his rent, not the full house.
My fiancé is guarantor for his daughter and neither she nor he are joint and severally liable.

expatinscotland · 22/06/2017 19:40

NO!

AdalindSchade · 22/06/2017 19:42

The problem is that I think with a jointly and severally liable tenancy if one tenant defaults they are all liable for all of the rent so potentially could you be liable for the whole lot?
If it were my brother and I trusted him I would do it, but not if it meant being liable for everyone's rent.

Intransige · 22/06/2017 19:44

Don't feel guilty. It's completely normal and healthy to say no to things that put you at risk (in this case the risk is financial security).

kath6144 · 22/06/2017 20:19

So if you dont act, will he not be able to move into his shared house?

I am not sure why you want him to work when studying? He will be getting a maintenance loan which will cover his rent and his living costs, why do you need him to work?

If you dont trust him to pay rent, maybe ask him to pass it to you from his maintenance loan each term and you pay it to the landlord?

We have just acted as guarantor for my DS, going into second year, it is standard policy and hopefully we wont have to act on it, as he and the girls he is sharing with seem sensible.

My DS has worked for last few months, but found it has affected his studies, so is likely to give it up before term re-starts in sept. He is doing a full on science degree. Very few of his fellow students work, at least whilst at uni.

Tinseleverywhere · 22/06/2017 20:26

Watch can't pay, we'll take it away and you will see a lot of guarantors getting a huge bill mostly from a relative who has defaulted on rent or a loan. Personally I think it's a very bad system.

Hs2Issue · 22/06/2017 20:36

Often guarantors are "jointly and severally liable" therefore responsible for everyone in the houses rent - the landlord will then target the easiest or most financially viable for the rent.

HunterHearstHelmsley · 22/06/2017 20:41

Don't do it. If your family think you should then they won't have a problem doing it, will they?

barrygetamoveonplease · 22/06/2017 20:42

Don't do it. It causes a heck of a lot of trouble when it goes wrong.

ExplodedCloud · 22/06/2017 21:06

I'm sure there was a MNer who stood guarantor for their child's student rent and it all went horribly wrong because of the joint liability for rent in a house share.

Original poster
Shootingstar2289 · 22/06/2017 21:16

Kath6144. He has managed to get accommodation for the last two years and I do feel guilty - but it's not my OH's responsibility. What if his house mates don't pay? We lose our home? The home we've worked so hard to pay for.. it's happening to my MIL, she has a huge amount of debt from her daughters/her daughters ex rent arrears despite the fact his parents were also a guarantor for some reason my MIl has to pay it all. My OH's sister Isn't willing to pay for it and the ex has long gone. In my opinion it's not the worth the risk.

No, he hasn't got to work but he says he often only has to lectures a week, what's to stop him getting a part time job? He's never really had a job and he needs the money as well as the experience. Me and my OH have worked since our teens - well I'm a stay at home Mum right now but I have worked hard over the years.

OP posts:
peukpokicuzo · 22/06/2017 22:25

There's a lot more to being a student than going to lectures so having only two lectures doesn't mean having no work. Some courses the reading and essay writing workload can easily be upwards of 40 hours a week if you want to be on track for a 1st. (True other courses are much lighter so it all depends).

Not arguing that this means you should behave differently - I 100% agree being a guarantor is a terrible idea unless you are massively wealthy.

PaperdollCartoon · 22/06/2017 22:27

Kath I don't think I know anyone who's maintainence loan was enough to pay their rent and live on without working or money from parents added on top.

myusernamewastaken · 23/06/2017 21:17

I am a guarantor for my son who is at uni in Canterbury.....this one however is not joint and several so i am only responsible for my son.....the year before was joint and several so i refused and paid 3 months rent upfront instead.

Needmoresleep · 25/06/2017 09:21

Try posting on the higher education thread as well.

It is standard in many places for LLs to demand either guarantors or 6 months rent in advance from students. Why should they take the risk if immediate family members won't.

You might be able to negotiate just being guarantor for your DB rather than asking on the full 'joint and several' or he could negotiate paying six months in advance.

It has nothing to do with whether he works or not.

Berthatydfil · 25/06/2017 09:30

Does he have a student loan or grant? Do your parents not support him in his studies?
What exactly does the guarantee document say? Is it joint and several - do you know or are you just assuming this?
I'm guarantor for my son in his student house but only for his rent.
Personally I think that being guarantor to a student is different to that of other tenants.
It's vital he lives in his uni town to complete his studies. Usually the rent is paid termly when loan or grant comes in.

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