What is a lease guarantor agreement?
Landlords often ask for a guarantor when a tenant is a student, has little rental or credit history, or earns less than the landlord's usual threshold. The guarantor — very often a parent — promises to pay the rent and cover the tenant's other lease obligations if the tenant doesn't. A written, signed guarantee makes that promise clear, and a fair one tells the guarantor exactly what they are taking on.
This template opens with a plain warning to the guarantor that they may have to pay from their own money. It identifies the lease, rent and property, and lets you choose whether the guarantee covers the rent only or rent plus other amounts such as damage, whether it covers only this tenant's share of a joint lease or everything, and whether it runs for the initial term only or also covers renewals. You can set a maximum amount or leave it unlimited, and have the landlord warn the guarantor when rent is overdue by a set number of days. It explains how written demands work, the landlord's duty to limit its loss if the tenant leaves early, when the guarantee ends, and the guarantor's confirmations. The landlord, tenant and guarantor all sign and initial every page.
- Best for
- Students, first-time renters and tenants without enough income or credit history
- Signed by
- Landlord, tenant and guarantor — initialled on every page
- Limit
- Optional maximum amount, or unlimited
- Length
- 3 pages
When to Use a lease guarantor agreement
- A parent guaranteeing a student's rent in a shared house or apartment
- A first-time renter without a rental history
- A tenant whose income is below the landlord's usual affordability test
- A joint lease where each tenant has their own guarantor for their share
- A lease renewal where the landlord asks for a guarantor to continue
What You Fill In
23 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: landlord, tenant, guarantor.
1 The parties
- Date of this agreement*
- Landlord*
- Landlord's address
- Tenant's full name*
- Guarantor's full name*
- Guarantor's home address*
- Guarantor's email for notices
- Guarantor's relationship to the tenant
2 The lease
- Address of the rented property*
- Date of the lease*
- Lease start date*
- Lease end date
- Currency*
- Rent*
- Rent is paid* per month · every four weeks · per week
3 The guarantee
- What is guaranteed* the rent and all other amounts the Tenant owes under the Lease, including the reasonable cost of repairing damage beyond normal wear and tear · the rent only
- If there are other tenants on the lease* only the Tenant's own share of the amounts owed under the Lease · the full amounts owed under the Lease, even where the Tenant shares them with other tenants
- Tenant's share of the rent (joint lease)
- Maximum the guarantor can be asked to pay
- Guarantee covers* the initial term of the Lease only, and any time the Tenant stays on after it ends until they move out · the initial term of the Lease and any renewal, extension or periodic tenancy that follows it for the same property, at the same or a lower rent
4 Demands
- Landlord tells the guarantor when rent is overdue by (days)
- Guarantor pays within (days of a written demand)*
- Governing law*
5 Who signs
- Landlord signature and date, job title, initials on every page · The landlord, or an agent authorised to sign for the landlord.
- Tenant signature and date, initials on every page · The tenant whose obligations are guaranteed. They sign to confirm they know about the guarantee and agree the landlord may contact the guarantor.
- Guarantor signature and date, initials on every page · The person giving the guarantee. They sign personally and should read it carefully, ideally with independent advice.
What the lease guarantor agreement Covers
- The Lease
- The guarantee
- Limit
- Keeping the Guarantor informed
- Demands and payment
- The Guarantor's position
- How the guarantee ends
- The Guarantor's confirmations
- General
Using the lease guarantor agreement, step by step
1 Name the three parties and the lease
Enter the landlord, the tenant and the guarantor's full name and home address, plus the lease date, start and end dates, and the rent. A relationship (such as "parent") and an email for notices are optional.
2 Decide what the guarantee covers
Choose rent only, or rent and all other amounts under the lease. For a joint lease, say whether the guarantor covers only this tenant's share — add the share of the rent — or the full amount. Choose whether it covers only the initial term or renewals too.
3 Set a limit and the notice rules
Enter a maximum amount, or leave it empty for an unlimited guarantee. Set how many days overdue rent can be before the landlord tells the guarantor, and how long the guarantor has to pay a written demand. Add the governing law.
4 Send it to the tenant and guarantor
Tick "This is me" for the landlord and add the tenant and guarantor. Each signs and initials every page. The signed PDF is filed in Files and emailed to all three.
Tips Before You Send It
- Give the guarantor a copy of the lease before they sign — the agreement has them confirm they received one or could ask for it.
- A cap makes a guarantee easier to agree to and, in some places, is required. A common approach is a cap linked to a number of months' rent.
- On a joint lease, a guarantor who covers everything could pay for other tenants' arrears. Covering only this tenant's share is usually fairer.
- Some places require guarantees to be witnessed, made as a deed or in a particular form, or limit what a guarantor can be asked for. Check local rules before relying on it.
Sign It Online In Minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. VergeHR builds the PDF with every signature, date and initials box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in Files and emailed to everyone.
Lease guarantor agreement: frequently asked questions
Is a guarantor the same as a co-signer?
They are similar and the words are often used interchangeably. A co-signer is usually a party to the lease itself; a guarantor signs a separate promise to pay if the tenant does not. This template is a separate guarantee.
Can the landlord go straight to the guarantor?
Yes — the landlord can make a written demand on the guarantor as soon as an amount is unpaid, without suing the tenant first. It can't recover the same amount twice, and if you set the arrears-notice period the landlord must warn the guarantor early.
When does the guarantee end?
When the period it covers has ended, the tenant has moved out, and everything that arose during that period has been paid or settled. The landlord confirms the release in writing on request.
Can a guarantee be signed electronically?
In many places, yes — electronic signatures are generally valid for ordinary contracts in the US (ESIGN Act and UETA), the UK, the EU (eIDAS) and Canada. Some jurisdictions require guarantees to be in a particular form, witnessed or made as a deed, so check what applies where the property is.