Medium riskRental

Guarantor Service Scam

Guarantor service scams target renters who lack a guarantor by offering a 'rent guarantor' or 'rent-now-pay-later' service. They charge upfront fees or collect bank and ID details for a guarantee that is never actually provided, or that proves worthless when a landlord tries to rely on it. The renter is left out of pocket and exposed to identity risk.

Quick verdict

Risk level
Medium risk
Scam type
Rental service scam
Main red flag
A guarantor service demanding an upfront fee or full bank and ID details before providing any verifiable guarantee.
What to do first
Pause and research the company independently, and ask whether your landlord or agent will accept its guarantee before paying.

Understanding this scam

Guarantor service scams target renters who lack a guarantor by offering a 'rent guarantor' or 'rent-now-pay-later' service. They charge upfront fees or collect bank and ID details for a guarantee that is never actually provided, or that proves worthless when a landlord tries to rely on it. The renter is left out of pocket and exposed to identity risk.

Rental scams advertise properties that are not available, not owned by the "landlord", or do not exist, to collect deposits and first-month rent from hopeful tenants. They pressure you to pay before viewing and to move money by transfer.

If you take one thing from this guide, make it this: A guarantor service demanding an upfront fee or full bank and ID details before providing any verifiable guarantee. Pause and research the company independently, and ask whether your landlord or agent will accept its guarantee before paying.

If your message looks slightly different, check the Rental Deposit Scam or the Rental Application Fee Scam, both are close cousins of this pattern. Every related guide lives in the Rental & Housing Scams guides, and the scam checker can scan the text you received.

A typical example

Example pattern, not a real report
Example pattern: "No guarantor? No problem! We can act as your rent guarantor today. Just pay a 49 GBP setup fee and send your ID and bank login so we can verify you instantly. Approval guaranteed. [unfamiliar link]"

This is a fictional, anonymised example used to illustrate the pattern. It is not a verified real message, and any names are used only to show how the scam typically reads.

The tell here: A guarantor service demanding an upfront fee or full bank and ID details before providing any verifiable guarantee.

What the data shows

Hundreds of millions
real-estate and rental fraud reported to the FBI runs into the hundreds of millions of dollars a year
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
$12.5B
total reported internet-crime losses in the US in 2023
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center

Warning signs

  • A demand for an upfront 'setup', 'verification', or 'approval' fee before any guarantee document is issued or confirmed.
  • Requests for sensitive details such as bank login credentials, full ID, or card numbers to 'verify' you instantly.
  • Claims of 'guaranteed approval' regardless of your income or circumstances, which a genuine assessment would not promise.
  • No clear, written terms, company registration details, or evidence that landlords actually accept the guarantee.
  • Pressure to pay quickly to 'secure the property' before another tenant is offered the same guarantor service.

Your safest response

  • Research the company independently through official business registers and reviews before sharing details or paying anything.
  • Ask your landlord or letting agent in writing whether they will accept this specific guarantor before you commit.
  • Request the full written terms and confirm exactly what the guarantee covers and how a landlord would claim on it.
  • Share only the minimum information needed, and never your full online banking login credentials.

If you have already engaged

  • If you shared bank login details, contact your bank immediately to secure your account and discuss changing credentials.
  • If you paid a fee, report it to your bank or card provider promptly and ask whether the payment can be stopped.
  • If you sent ID, watch for identity misuse and follow your country's official guidance on protecting yourself.
  • Keep the advert, messages, and payment records, then report it to your national fraud reporting service.

What to avoid

  • Do not share your online banking login or passwords with any guarantor or rental service.
  • Do not pay upfront fees before confirming the service is genuine and accepted by your landlord.
  • Do not trust 'guaranteed approval' claims that ignore your actual income or circumstances.

You might also see

High risk Rental

Rental Deposit Scam

This scam advertises a desirable rental at a low price and demands a deposit before any viewing, then disappears once you pay.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
Medium risk Rental

Rental Application Fee Scam

This scam uses a fake landlord or agent who asks for an upfront application, holding, or background-check fee, often by e-transfer or gift card, before any viewing, then disappears once the money is sent.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team
High risk Rental

Cloned Rental Listing Scam

In this scam, someone copies a genuine rental listing's photos and description and reposts it at a lower price under their own contact details. They then ask for a deposit or first month's rent before any viewing, then disappear once paid.

Created by Scam or Safe Editorial Team

Questions people ask

Are rent guarantor services always a scam?
No. Some legitimate guarantor and rent-now-pay-later services exist. The warning signs are upfront fees before any guarantee, requests for bank logins, and 'guaranteed approval', which are commonly used in scams.
Should I ever give a service my online banking login?
Be very cautious. A genuine affordability check does not need your full banking login or password. Sharing those credentials can expose your account, so treat any such request as a serious warning sign.
How do I check a guarantor service is real?
Look it up on official business registers, search for independent reviews, and confirm directly with your landlord or agent that they will accept its guarantee before paying any fee or sharing documents.
What if the guarantee turns out to be worthless?
If a landlord cannot rely on the guarantee, you may have lost the fee and shared sensitive data for nothing. Keep all records, report it to your bank and national fraud service, and watch for identity misuse.

Last reviewed June 2026 · Written & reviewed by the

Disclaimer: This page provides educational information only to help you recognise common scam patterns. It is not legal, financial, cybersecurity, or law enforcement advice, and it does not confirm whether any specific message, company, or person is genuine or fraudulent. When in doubt, contact the official organisation directly and report concerns to your local authorities.