More than half of landlords surveyed by property group LRG say they are now more likely to ask prospective tenants for a guarantor when they do not comfortably meet affordability checks.
The finding comes from LRG’s Summer 2026 Lettings Report, which surveyed 717 landlords and 860 tenants across England and Wales. It provides an early indication of how some landlords are changing their approach after the Renters’ Rights Act introduced new restrictions on rent paid in advance.
Among the landlords surveyed, 54% said they were more likely to request a guarantor from applicants who fell short of their usual affordability requirements. A further 28% said their approach had not changed, while 13% said they had always required a guarantor in those circumstances. Only 5% said they were less likely to request one, citing other forms of protection such as rent guarantee insurance.
Tenants without guarantors face a different choice
The survey suggests the change in landlord behaviour could have a direct effect on people who do not have relatives or friends able to guarantee their rent.
Among tenants who would need a guarantor but did not have someone available to act in that role, 51% said they would look for a cheaper property. Another 16% said they would abandon their property search altogether.
Only 18% said they would consider paying for a professional guarantor service, while 15% selected another option.
The problem is partly one of awareness. 74% of tenants surveyed said they had never heard of professional guarantor services. A further 12% had heard of them but did not know how they worked, while another 12% knew about the services but had never used one. Just 2% said they had previously used a professional guarantor.
LRG also found that 37% of tenants had needed a guarantor at some point. Of those tenants, 7% said they had been unable to find one.
Why the change matters after May’s rental reforms
The findings come after the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 changed the rules around rent paid in advance in England.
Since 1 May 2026, landlords cannot ask for, encourage or accept rent before a tenancy agreement has been entered into. Once the agreement has been signed, a landlord can normally require no more than one month’s rent in advance for a monthly tenancy. The law also prevents tenancy terms from requiring rent to be paid ahead of the agreed due date once the tenancy has started.
The change removed a route through which some landlords could obtain additional financial security from applicants who did not meet their usual affordability requirements.
LRG’s figures suggest that, for some landlords, guarantors are becoming one of the alternatives.
The survey does not establish that the Renters’ Rights Act itself caused every guarantor request. It does, however, show that the two developments are occurring at the same time and that a substantial proportion of surveyed landlords report changing their approach.
Rent guarantee insurance is another option
Guarantors are not the only form of additional protection being considered by landlords.
Nearly 37% of those surveyed said they already had rent guarantee insurance, while a further 19% were considering taking out a policy. At the same time, 17% said they were unaware that this type of protection was available.
That suggests the rental market is adjusting in several ways as the new rules settle in. Landlords are still assessing applicants against affordability criteria, but some are also looking at alternative ways of managing the financial risk associated with a tenancy.
For tenants, however, the availability of those alternatives does not necessarily remove the immediate problem. A professional guarantor service may be an option for some people, but the LRG research shows that most tenants surveyed were not familiar with such services.
A potential barrier for renters without family support
The figures point to a particular difficulty for renters who cannot rely on family or friends.
A tenant who fails a landlord’s affordability assessment may be asked for additional reassurance. Someone with access to a suitable guarantor may be able to provide it, while another applicant facing the same affordability issue may have to search for a cheaper home or leave the rental market temporarily.
That does not mean every landlord will require a guarantor, nor does the survey show that every tenant without one will be rejected. It does show, however, that guarantor requirements are becoming a more significant part of the letting process for some landlords, while awareness of alternatives remains low among tenants.
The development will be worth watching as the Renters’ Rights Act beds into the English private rental market. The central question is whether alternative safeguards can give landlords sufficient confidence without creating another barrier for tenants who have limited financial or family support.
