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Original poster

All opinions welcome

23 replies

Housework40 · 20/03/2024 18:18

im new here but need outside opinions for my issue…

long story short my partners brother need us to act as a guarantor for a rented home. I dont feel comfortable with this as he is currently on police bail (serious charge) and is currently recieving benefits as his main source of income. He has done loads for me and my partner from helping decorate our new home to fixing out car whenever we needed it but i just feel being a guarantor is a huge commitment for us as we have just bought our first home and dont want this hanging over my head.

i really get on with my partners brother and i feel im holding him back if i say no as he has kids and needs a permanent home however i remember being younger and my family flat out saying no when i needed it and it did eventually be a good thing for me!!! Just seems too much responsibility when we just have our new home and he is on bail which is uncomfortable for is all

OP posts:
SharedAccountWithMySister · 20/03/2024 18:19

Is he asking you or his brother to be guarantor?

What will happen if he doesn’t get this property?

Oldandcobwebby · 20/03/2024 18:23

Act as guarantor when he's on bail for a serious charge? So he could easily end up in prison, and you would have to pay his rental contract? No, no, ten thousand times no! See those hills? Run for them.

Original poster
Housework40 · 20/03/2024 18:39

SharedAccountWithMySister · 20/03/2024 18:19

Is he asking you or his brother to be guarantor?

What will happen if he doesn’t get this property?

Her brother is asking me and his sister to be a guarantor as we are home owners. Hope that clears it up

OP posts:
Scaffoldingisugly · 20/03/2024 18:43

If he gets sent down you know you will be paying his rent right? Def a no from me.

Hercules12 · 20/03/2024 18:44

dont do it- no good deed goes unpunished

Dacadactyl · 20/03/2024 18:46

Never in a million years would I do this for someone with his background.

bigdecisionstomake · 20/03/2024 19:17

I have acted as guarantor for my (young adult) children at University and then their first rental subsequently. I did this on the basis that I trusted them implicitly to pay. I was also in the very fortunate position financially to have the savings to be able to cover the cost should any unforseen circumstance have arisen meaning they genuinely weren't able to pay.

I would not act as a guarantor under any other circumstance. I certainly would never ever act as a guarantor for anyone on police bail who may either go to prison or be unable to secure a job due to a conviction. Police bail aside, benefits are also notoriously unreliable, hence I suspect why the landlord is asking for a guarantor.

Does your partner's brother have no other options?

PaminaMozart · 20/03/2024 19:20

No

IsEveryUserNameBloodyTaken · 20/03/2024 19:21

Dear God no.

SantaBarbaraMonica · 20/03/2024 19:25

I would not do this for anyone other than my child or my parent. Understanding that I would take full financial responsibility for them should the worst happen anyway.

frustratinglyso · 20/03/2024 19:28

What happens if the brother goes to prison?

Does the serious charge involve any kind of deception or fraud?

In short, I'd never be a guarantor for someone except family who I trusted implicitly.

DeedlessIndeed · 20/03/2024 19:33

Never be a guarantor unless you have the money to actually pay the debt. You are using your house as collateral.

You never know if (even a trusted) family member's situation will change. Given your BIL's current situation, out of work, risk of returning to prison, relying on benefits etc, I would never agree unless I was happy to pay the rent (i.e. for a child during education) and could afford it.

Pinkdelight3 · 20/03/2024 19:34

Her brother is asking me and his sister to be a guarantor as we are home owners. Hope that clears it up

Sorry that's less clear to me. Do you mean your DP's brother is asking you - but not your DP - and his sister to be the guarantors? I thought you and your DP had bought a new home together so isn't the DP a homeowner too? It's confusing, but the answer is still clear - no, sorry, it's too much to ask. His kids and that whole situation is not your responsibility. It's his responsibility and however nice he may be, he's got himself in a situation where he has no income other than benefits plus a serious criminal charge hanging over him, and you'd be crazy to be his guarantor and be on the hook for thousands. The advice is generally not to be a guarantor for anyone unless you can afford it and even then only for your own DC really. Doing it because he fixed your car and you like him is not a reason. Be really clear and stick to your guns: no way.

Dacadactyl · 20/03/2024 19:38

@Pinkdelight3 I read it as its a same sex relationship

Pinkdelight3 · 20/03/2024 19:40

Assuming you're a woman, from your username and innate sense of guilt/self-abnegation, it's also interesting that he's relying on the women around him to help him out - you, his sister, (and presumably) the mother of his kids all have homes because you've worked hard and made sensible decisions to get to that point in life (I'm guessing you're not landed gentry by the sounds of it!). He's done otherwise and is now expecting you all to literally bail him out if he gets behind in rent, or goes to prison. You're not holding him back, that's his doing. You're not in a position to do this. I guess you could let him live at yours if you like him so much and want to help, but don't jeopardise your own security.

Pinkdelight3 · 20/03/2024 19:41

Dacadactyl · 20/03/2024 19:38

@Pinkdelight3 I read it as its a same sex relationship

I wondered about that, but regardless of her DP's sex, she still says they got their own home as if it belongs to both of them, but then says she's being asked specifically because she's a homeowner, not the DP, hence confusion.

Notanevillandlord · 20/03/2024 19:46

Absolutely not. As a landlord I do not recommend it at all.

The tenant doesn't give a damn that you're chasing their best friend/brother/aunt etc for their unpaid rent.

You won't get the money back from him
And if you don't pay you could end up with a CCJ and it could affect your credit record.

DO NOT DO IT!

areyoutheregod · 20/03/2024 20:03

Absolutely agree, do not do this!

Lolloped · 20/03/2024 20:17

I would just say that as part of your mortgage you can’t commit to it because you can’t afford both. It’s not that you don’t trust him, but that it’s a breach of the mortgage to take on financial liabilities that would mean you can’t afford your mortgage repayments. You should only be a guarantor for payments you can afford to make. What would you do if he was sick in hospital and you were liable to pay this through no real fault of his?

K0OLA1D · 20/03/2024 20:27

Nope. Definitely not. Unless I was absolutely loaded, I wouldn't be a guarantor for anyone.

jadey1991 · 20/03/2024 20:30

Op are his crimes serious?

Newestname002 · 21/03/2024 08:23

I would never be a guarantor for anyone because I wouldn't be in a position to lose any savings I have or have to sell my home if the person I'm being guarantor for is unable, or unwilling, to pay what they owe. It would be awful to have to say no, but worse if the debt came back to me. 🌹

WorkInProgress01 · 21/03/2024 08:31

I was asked to be a guarantor for a family member and I said no as basically I did not trust them to pay the rent as they are quite reckless with money. I said I would contribute towards the deposit as a one-off.

Thing is, how does anyone in this position get a guarantor? Surely not many people would be willing to do it if someone is unreliable or on benefits.

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