"While headlines have moved on from the cost-of-living crisis, its impact is still rippling across the rental market. Inflation remains above historic norms. Wage growth and employment are stagnant, and rents in many parts of the country have risen faster than affordability metrics can support"
- Bruce Evans - RentGuarantor
We’re at a crossroads in the UK rental sector; regulatory reform is looming large, and a sluggish economy continues to challenge tenants as well as landlords. From my vantage point at RentGuarantor, working closely with letting agents and landlords every day, one thing is abundantly clear: the next phase of the rental market will reward those who adapt, not those who resist.
The proposed end of Section 21 'no-fault' evictions and the likely capping of upfront rent to just one month are game-changing policies. For landlords, they represent a sharp pivot in how risk is allocated. No longer can a lump sum of advance rent or a swift notice act as financial or behavioural safeguards.
It’s important to remember, however, that Renters’ Reform isn’t a wrecking ball. In fact, most responsible landlords rarely used Section 21 to begin with. As a professional community, landlords know the value of stable, long-term tenants. The issue is no longer about how to remove a tenant — it’s about how to assess one properly, and how to ensure that rent continues to flow even when tenants face unexpected difficulties. That’s where the role of the professional guarantor is coming to the fore.
At RentGuarantor, we’ve seen an uptick in tenants who previously would have passed referencing with ease. While there is no definite figure, and it will differ depending on the source, the percentage of tenants who need a guarantor likely falls somewhere between 15% and 30%. In reality, though, this number is probably much bigger; it doesn’t include people who wouldn’t even reach the reference stage.
This isn’t down to an increase of ‘bad’ renters. They are students, people with non-traditional incomes or those in receipt of benefits who cannot provide a suitable UK guarantor to satisfy the needs of their tenancy. A professional rent guarantor service can unlock valuable tenancies for renters – and for landlords - that might otherwise have fallen through.
In addition, while headlines have moved on from the cost-of-living crisis, its impact is still rippling across the rental market. Inflation remains above historic norms. Wage growth and employment are stagnant, and rents in many parts of the country have risen faster than affordability metrics can support.
Behind closed doors, tenants are under financial pressure and for landlords, that pressure carries real consequences. Good people facing a missed paycheque, a cut in hours, or an unexpected bill. A professional guarantor can step in, pay the landlord, and work constructively with the tenant on a repayment plan.
The Renters' Rights Bill will be the most significant revision of the regulations surrounding renting properties in decades, and we’re experiencing our highest ever levels of interest since we were established in 2018. We believe that professional guarantors should be seen as part of the core tenancy toolkit — just like referencing, deposit registration, and tenancy agreements. A professional guarantor provides an option and choice for tenants considering the best solution to meet their requirements, while delivering the surety that landlords need.
RentGuarantor is a professional service designed to act fast if and when things go wrong. It is underwritten by insurance to provide tenants, landlords and agents with reassurance and peace of mind, but is not an insurance policy product.
We’ve always understood that being a guarantor isn’t just about remedying risk—it’s about enabling movement. It’s about supporting people to secure homes, and supporting landlords and agents to operate confidently in a changing market. The financial margin for error is narrowing. The way forward is to build resilience.
