Activists Generation Rent Not Happy With Landlords Requesting Guarantors

In the latest rental property news, the tenants rights activist group, Generation Rent, is making their feelings known about guarantor requests from landlords, and it is not positive. The group claims that during 2024, 26% of tenants who had moved property more than 5yrs previously had been asked to provide a guarantor, however, for those who had moved within 3-5 yrs this rose to 28%, for those who had moved 1-3yrs the guarantor requests rose again to 34%, renters who had moved into a rental property within the last 12 months, 39% of those tenants had been asked to provide a guarantor.

Generation Rent released a statement “This is a 50% increase in guarantor requests. There is a real danger that guarantor demands are becoming the norm … What was once often only a requirement in some niche situations, is fast becoming a regular demand”. The group is now requesting the government amends the Renters Rights Bill to restrict landlords from asking for a guarantor in cases where a tenant can prove is affordable to them. The activists also demanded, “People who have experienced care should also be able to use their local council as a guarantor, and the government should monitor the effectiveness of these schemes, with the view to potentially include other marginalised communities who disproportionately struggle to provide guarantors.”

In an article on the same topic by LandlordToday, there were numerous comments against the views of Generation Rent, some stating that with the current proposed Government changes via the Renters Rights Bill, that landlords were already struggling to potentially evict problem tenants, and so it should be their decision to request a guarantor, to cover their investment.