No UK Guarantor? Every Real Option Compared

If you've read our full guide to student guarantors and landed here because you genuinely don't have anyone who qualifies, this is for you - an honest, priced comparison of the actual services that can stand in.

By Marilyn Magnusen

Published 19/08/2026, 2 min read

One Thing Worth Knowing First: The Market Has Consolidated

Housing Hand has acquired UK Guarantor. If you see both names mentioned around university websites, they're now effectively the same company, not two competing options - worth knowing before you spend time comparing them separately.

The Real Options, Compared

Provider	Typical fee	Best for
Housing Hand (incl. former UK Guarantor)	~5–10.5% of annual rent, often with a £295 minimum - varies a lot depending on whether you go through a university partnership	Most students, especially with a university discount
RentGuarantor.com	Roughly 3–4 weeks' rent	Very high-value central London tenancies (protection up to £10,000/month rent, £120,000 arrears cap - the highest published cap found)
Goodlord Guarantor	Set by the landlord/agent, not chosen independently	Tenancies the landlord's letting agent already uses Goodlord for referencing - check before shopping elsewhere
The Student Guarantor	Not consistently published - confirm directly	International students specifically
Zero Deposit's Guarantor+	Not published	Can't be meaningfully compared without transparent pricing

The Single Best Tip: Check With Your University First

💡This can genuinely halve what you pay

Many universities - York, Queen Mary, Loughborough, Queen's Belfast, and others - have direct partnerships with Housing Hand offering a discounted rate. Loughborough's own published figures show the difference plainly: around 5.5% of rent through the university partnership, versus roughly 10.5% at Housing Hand's standard rate.

Always check your student services or accommodation office before applying independently - it's a five-minute check that could save a genuinely significant amount.

What You Actually Get, Beyond Just "A Guarantor"

Coverage: Housing Hand's standard service covers the full rent, damage beyond your deposit, and professional eviction costs if it comes to that
A co-signer requirement: Housing Hand needs a co-signer (someone they can contact if they can't reach you) - this person doesn't have to be UK-based or pass a credit check themselves, which is a genuinely lower bar than finding a full UK guarantor
A dedicated route if you have no co-signer at all: care-experienced or estranged students can apply without one - worth knowing if this applies to you
"Guarantor Passport": lets you get pre-approved before you've even found a property, which can help you move faster in a competitive market like London
"Only My Share": a separate product that protects you from being liable for a housemate's unpaid rent in a joint tenancy - directly relevant to the joint-and-several liability risk covered in our main guarantor guide

What's Protected Either Way, Regardless of Which Service You Use

Two Renters' Rights Act protections apply no matter which route you take:

Guarantor liability now ends if the tenant dies, for agreements from 1 May 2026 onward
The advertised rent is a hard ceiling - you can't offer above the asking rent to strengthen your application, even with a guarantee backing you, and a landlord can't accept it if you tried

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Housing Hand the same as UK Guarantor?

Now, yes - Housing Hand acquired UK Guarantor, so they're the same company rather than two separate options to compare.

Can I get a discount on a professional guarantor service?

Often, yes - check whether your university has a direct partnership first, since this can roughly halve the standard fee.

Does my co-signer need to be based in the UK?

Not for Housing Hand specifically - they need a contactable co-signer, but that person doesn't have to be UK-based or pass a credit check, which is a lower bar than a traditional guarantor.

What if I have no one at all who can be my co-signer?

Housing Hand has a dedicated application route for care-experienced or estranged students who don't have a co-signer available - worth checking directly if this applies to you.