Finding somewhere to live as a student can be stressful enough without suddenly being told you need a guarantor.
You might find a room you like, then start getting excited, and then realise there’s a whole extra part of the process involving documents, checks and someone agreeing to cover your rent if you cannot pay. Not exactly ideal.
This is where Housing Hand’s Guarantor Passport comes in... It’s made to help renters get pre-approved for guarantor support before they have even found a specific property.
So, instead of waiting until the last minute and panicking about whether you’ll be accepted, you can sort part of the process earlier and start looking for accommodation with a bit more confidence.
First, what is a guarantor?
A guarantor is someone who agrees to cover your rent if you cannot pay it.
For many students, this might be a parent or family member. But not everyone has someone who can do this, especially if they don’t have a UK-based guarantor or their family doesn’t meet the landlord’s requirements. This can make renting harder, even if you know you can afford the rent yourself.
So, what is a Guarantor Passport?
The Guarantor Passport is basically a way of showing landlords and accommodation providers that Housing Hand can act as your guarantor.
The best bit is that you can get this sorted before choosing a property. Usually, students only think about guarantors once they have already found somewhere they want to live, which can lead to a lot of last-minute stress and complications. But with the Guarantor Passport, you can get ahead of it before you start seriously applying for places.
Think of it as turning up to the rental process a bit more prepared.
Why is it helpful?
Student housing can move quite quickly. One minute, a room is available, and the next minute someone else has already booked a viewing or put down a deposit without you even noticing.
Having your guarantor situation partly sorted can make the whole process feel less stressful. Instead of scrambling around for documents or trying to work out who can be your guarantor, you already have something in place that also shows you are organised.
It can also make you feel more confident when contacting landlords or accommodation providers, especially if you’re worried about not having a 'normal’ guarantor.
How does it work?
The process is simple. You set up an account with Housing Hand, verify your ID and pay a small onboarding fee. After that, you can get your Guarantor Passport and use it while searching for an accommodation.
It’s not a magic ticket that guarantees you any flat you want, but it can make you look and feel more prepared and help reduce some of the stress that comes with applying for student housing.
Who can use it?
The Guarantor Passport can be useful for students who do not have a UK-based guarantor, international students, students with family financial difficulties or anyone who wants to get organised before applying for accommodation.
It can also be useful if you’re worried about the rental process and want to avoid sorting everything at the very last minute.
Wrap-up
- The Guarantor Passport is there to make renting a little bit easier.
- It helps students get pre-approved for guarantor support before finding a specific property, which means there is one less thing to panic about when the house hunt properly begins.
- It won’t make rent cheaper or choose your flatmates for you, but it can make one of the most annoying parts of student renting feel much lighter.
