Referencing Service Guidelines

The most common reasons for an applicant requiring a Guarantor are:

When an applicant has not been in full-time and continuous employment for at least 6 months
When an applicant has had a break in employment exceeding 2 weeks during the past 6 months
When the income to rent ratio is less than our recommended level (the applicant will be declined outright if the ratio is < 1.5)
When there is a low Tenancy Application Score
When there is adverse credit history - see previous notes
If an applicant is unemployed and in receipt of Housing Benefit
When an applicant is a student
When an applicant has been self-employed for less than 3 years
When an applicant is self-employed but unable to provide accountant details or an SA302
When an applicant cannot provide proof of residency at the current address
On some occasions, when an adverse reference is received from an employer or landlord. (Please note that in most cases the applicant would be declined.)
When the contract of employment for an applicant does not extend beyond the terms of the tenancy.

Please note that this list is not exhaustive and there may be other situations where a guarantor will be required.

An applicant will be declined outright when:

There is adverse credit history that has not been declared or does not meet our criteria or the applicant has a low Tenancy Application Score
The income to rental ratio is less than 1.5
We receive adverse references from employer and/or landlord.

When will a Guarantor be necessary?