Student Stories

“There have been times where I’ve been homeless or facing it and the guarantor issue has been a major cause of stress and upset.”

I am a third year student and the issue of rent guarantors has come up for me numerous times.

I was kicked out of home at the age of nineteen. I stayed with my then boyfriend and his two friends for a time. When we moved into our own place we required a guarantor. I am estranged so I had no one to ask. Fortunately, we used his parents. Then later, when I moved in with friends, we needed a guarantor – and again I had no one who could help. This time, we used my friend’s parents and I passed the credit checks. The last time the issue came up was in my current flat. On this occasion, I used one of my friends who has a mortgage and a good paying job.

I feel I’ve just been lucky to have people at the time who are happy to help – there have been times where I’ve been homeless or facing it and the guarantor issue has been a major cause of stress and upset.

“I’ve gotten some great help and advice over the years from different organisations but none of them could provide a guarantor for me.”

I was never told anything about having to find a rent guarantor and the process of moving into a place. I’ve had to learn it all on my own. No one has helped me with this process except good friends or their parents or my partner’s parents. I’ve gotten some great help and advice over the years from different organisations but none of them could provide a guarantor for me.

“It makes me feel like I will always be treated differently to those with family support networks, because the issue comes up time and time again.”

It’s incredibly stressful – numerous times I have been through an extensive application for a house only to be knocked back with this hurdle. Landlords often do not give any information about how they decide what the benchmarks are for guarantorship, so you have no idea who you can even ask. It makes me feel like I will always be treated differently to those with family support networks, because the issue comes up time and time again.

It’s embarrassing to have to ask friends or their parents and sometimes it leads to awkward questions like why my family aren’t around. It feels like yet another unnecessary obstacle for those without the support of their family. I’m endlessly grateful for the support of good friends and partners’ parents, but it shouldn’t have to be this way. Care experienced and estranged students have already faced so much disruption, we shouldn’t be put through further risk of instability over some red tape.

“It’s not wrong to ask for help from anyone so please don’t feel guilty or ashamed about it! We have been dealt a different set of cards in life – don’t feel bad that you need extra support.”

I would advise other students in my position to research as much as possible and try to become more financially savvy so that you’re aware of the process. Citizens Advice and Living Rent are amazing organisations who can help. Go to student housing for support too – they often have people who can contact organisations, landlords, or the council on your behalf so please make use of them.

I want universities to recognise that care experienced and estranged students not having access to a rent guarantor is a systemic issue. Universities should acknowledge, as part of their corporate parenting responsibilities, that this is a barrier that they should aim to get rid of.

There are so many ways they could help: information sessions on accommodation, financial literacy courses, or workshops partnering with organisations such as Living Rent or Shelter. On a bigger scale, something like a scheme would be great, for example matching a care experienced or estranged student with someone willing to be a guarantor.

In an ideal world, care experienced and estranged students would be entirely exempt from requiring a guarantor. I believe that’s the only way we would receive true equity with those who have family support networks behind them. We deserve security. I honestly think most corporate parents and unis don’t realise how prevalent this issue is, so an education campaign is probably the first step in adjusting the system in our favour.

Finally, it’s not wrong to ask for help from anyone so please don’t feel guilty or ashamed about it! We have been dealt a different set of cards in life – don’t feel bad that you need extra support.

“Not having a rent guarantor affected my friendships at university. I was very uncertain I would be able to go to university as I didn’t have a rent guarantor, so I didn’t go to meet ups and other events that would have allowed me to meet people before I went to university, and instead went knowing no one.”

I am a 19 year old university student and the first time the issue of not having a rent guarantor came up for me was when I got accepted into university and was looking for first year student accommodation.

My previous foster carers worked within the housing sector, so I was aware that guarantors were needed.

However, I did not know that they were required for university or student housing.

I emailed the university to see if they had any information on either accommodation which I could access without a rent guarantor or if they had a system to help me. I tried to contact the university care leaver team for almost two months to no avail. By the end, I had to contact the accommodation company myself and push for me to be allowed to access this accommodation, and they were very apprehensive.

Not having a rent guarantor affected my friendships  at university. I was very uncertain I would be able to go to university as I didn’t have a rent guarantor, so I didn’t go to meet ups and other events that would have allowed me to meet people before I went to university, and instead went knowing no one.

It also affected me as I was having to quickly think of a backup option, applying to jobs and apprenticeships just to make sure that I had something to do if I was unable to go to university due not being able to secure accommodation. This, naturally, made me upset as I had always wanted to go to university.

“In my contract it states that they can withdraw my accommodation at any time due to me not having the security of a guarantor.”

I eventually solved the rent guarantor issue on my own after emailing and calling the accommodation company many times in order to push for my case. In the end, they gave me a code which allowed for me to apply for my accommodation without a guarantor. However, in my contract it states that they can withdraw my accommodation at any time due to me not having the security of a guarantor.

“Fight for your case and don’t allow people to put you on the back burner. Push for change.  At the end of the day, it is discrimination to not allow you to have accommodation just because you are care experienced or estranged.”

I would tell other students in my position to fight for your case and don’t allow people to put you on the back burner. Push for change. At the end of the day, it is discrimination to not allow you to have accommodation just because you are care experienced or estranged. Keep in constant contact with companies and the university, push for answers, follow up emails and phone calls every couple of days so you can be certain that people have seen them. Be persistent.

“I was homeless when I applied for university and was using it as a way to pull myself out of the situation after trying everything else, so finding out that despite managing to get into university, I may not be able to attend because I couldn’t find a guarantor was very disheartening and it was hard to fight feelings of despair.”

I knew nothing about rent guarantors before starting university at Salford in 2017.

I was homeless when I applied for university and was using it as a way to pull myself out of the situation after trying everything else, so finding out that despite managing to get into university, I may not be able to attend because I couldn’t find a guarantor was very disheartening and it was hard to fight feelings of despair.

“I felt anxious about the possibility of being made homeless again.”

My sister was already attending the university I got an offer from, and as an estranged student, she was working with the university on how they could help students that are estranged from their parents. So, the student liaison officer and university housing officer were aware that I was planning on starting a degree at the University and they approached me to set up a meeting to discuss guarantor issues.

They weren’t able to help me, other than with advice, but shortly afterwards the university put a policy in place where they could become a students’ guarantor.

I resolved the guarantor issue for myself in the end because I was informed that the student housing provider I was using did not do thorough checks on guarantors, so I put a willing friends information in and just made sure that my rent was always paid on time, so that the guarantors information would never be needed or looked into.

I felt anxious about the possibility of being made homeless again if the housing provider looked into my guarantor’s information.

Friendships were strained because I had to use their information to essentially fake a guarantor. I used the last of my money on a rental deposit so couldn’t use a service where you pay them to be your guarantor.

“Look into whether the university has any guarantor policies in place and maybe call around different universities before you apply.”

I would advise other students in the same position I was in to look into whether the university they are applying to has any guarantor policies in place, and maybe call around different universities before you apply.

If you’ve already applied to a university that doesn’t have a policy in place – campaign for them to put something in place.

Ask the housing provider whether they have any policies in place or know if anywhere you can go for help, if they’ve dealt with a similar issue before they might know of different services or be able to help you.

“I would be very grateful if universities could help students that struggle with guarantors.”

I would like all universities to have guarantor policies in place, have good communication with student housing providers and know as much as they can to help students who come to them.

I would be very grateful if universities could help students that struggle with guarantors and am very happy with the work they have done at Salford University so far.