Tenant Tip: Just what is a guarantor, and why do I need one.

Sometimes, when you have been referenced, and financial matters don’t, quite stack up, or as a student you have no apparent means of income, or have never rented before, you will be asked to provide a guarantor.

A guarantor is someone (normally a parent or next of kin) who agrees (Guarantees) to pay the rent on your behalf, if you fail to do so.

A guarantor will have to satisfy a landlord or letting agent that they are who they say they are and capable of covering the rent and also it’s usual that a guarantor will be a homeowner. The guarantor will have to provide documentary evidence of their status and also sign an agreement to cover the rent.

As a Bristol letting agent who has rented property to students for numerous years I would never recommend that you rent to a student without a guarantee in place. Not particularly that they might or would cause more damage, or fail to pay the rent, any more than a professional person.

One alternative to having a guarantor, and before you say anything  whilst  I know students and young professionals  like some form of independence, the alternative is to have your parents pay your rent directly to the Landlord. 

If you have any tenant issues or problems, feel free to get in touch, I am  more than happy to help and give you advice and assistance 

“fair wear and tear” What does that mean?

Because the place you are renting is considered your home, you can cause what is called “fair wear and tear”. Damage caused deliberately or through your own negligence isn’t “fair wear and tear” so that stain on the lounge carpet caused through the spilt glass of wine is not “fair wear and tear” But scuff marks and dings could well be justifiably said to have been caused by the tenant going about their day to day routine daily life.

Even if you have genuinely damaged something, beyond what can be seen as “fair wear and tear” the  landlord is not necessarily entitled to the total cost of replacement.

Lets go back to the nice light coloured carpet in the lounge that you spilt the red wine on. You could legitimately be charged for a proper and professional cleaning job, which hopefully would remove the stain. But if the carpet has already been in situ for several years and had already seen wear and tear before you even took up residence, you wouldn’t be liable for the total cost of a replacement carpet.

For those of you where you might just have been guilty of the above, you might be too late for your existing tenancy, however if it happens again try this method of stain removal, its great for synthetic fibres (nylon or polyester) But you will need some elbow grease

 

How to fix carpet stains:

Step 1: Fill half a cup with really warm water.
Step 2: Add fiftypence-sized amount of dish soap.
Step 3: Add a splash of white vinegar (distilled works best but others work too).
Step 4: Add half a teaspoon of baking soda.
Step 5: Mix together and scrub the mix into the carpet using a rag or scrub brush.
Step 6: Let it sit for five minutes.
Step 7: Use a dry rag to dab out the mixture.

Try to always use a white cotton towel when cleaning carpet and also remember to test this solution in an out of the way place before the middle of the room. If you have wool carpet, check out the Wools of New Zealand , as its website has listed a way to clean everything. Remember, most Persian and oriental rugs are wool, so these instructions will work for those too. Also, the stain is usually in the carpet cushion or pad. This is why stains that appear clean often comeback.

Happy cleaning!!