Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of guarantor requirements in the private rented sector on prospective tenants who can demonstrate affordability but do not have access to a suitable guarantor.

According to the latest English Private Landlord Survey, which can be found on gov.uk here, 21% of landlords required a guarantor for their most recent letting.

The government recognises that blanket requirements for a guarantor could act as a barrier to renting for some tenants and expects landlords and agents to consider tenants’ individual circumstances when negotiating rental conditions.

We are committed to monitoring the use of guarantors as part of our wider evaluation of the impact of our reforms on the private rented sector.

Where a landlord or agent is not satisfied by the outcome of pre-tenancy checks, they may ask a prospective tenant to provide a guarantor. If this is not possible, then a tenant may choose to use a professional guarantor service as an alternative. Local authorities may offer guarantee schemes to help people on low incomes or at risk of homelessness.