When a tenant has signed a Letter of Intent or the Tenancy agreement we will send you a guarantor form, known as a ‘Letter of Guarantee’. Please read it carefully. It should be completed clearly and returned to our office with copies of ID to confirm your name, signature and address.
We do not chase you for anybody else's rent
Plenty of student houses are let on a joint tenancy, where the whole group signs one agreement and the tenants are jointly and severally liable. In plain English that means every tenant is legally responsible for the entire rent of the house. If one student stops paying in March, or simply goes home, the landlord can pursue any of the others for the shortfall, and their guarantors with them. Guarantee forms usually mirror the tenancy, so a Guarantor can end up covering arrears run up by somebody they have never met.
That cannot happen here. WESP uses individual tenancy agreements. The tenant signs their own agreement, and your guarantee covers their rent and their charges. A housemate’s arrears are a matter between that housemate and their own guarantor. There is no clause to negotiate away and no policy for us to change our minds about, because the liability never exists in the first place.
Two bedroom houses work a little differently, and it is worth knowing before you sign. A two bed is not a house in multiple occupation, so different rules apply and these are let on a joint tenancy, which places joint liability on both tenants for everything to do with the house. We do not think that is fair, so we issue a written addendum that limits liability to a half share of the rent for the house. Neither the tenant you are supporting nor you will be held responsible for any payment due from their housemate.
It is worth asking any landlord the same question before you sign anything, wherever a student is looking. Individual or joint? The answer changes what you are agreeing to more than anything else on the form. Our tenancy agreements page sets out what is in ours.
- Individual tenancies
- One tenant’s rent only
- No joint guarantee
- Nothing to opt out of
The guarantee, in plain terms
A guarantor promises to cover the rent and any charges if the tenant does not. Students rarely have the income or the rental history a landlord would otherwise want to see, which is why almost every student tenancy in the country asks for one. It is not a character reference and it is not a formality: it is a contract, and it is enforceable.
Ours asks that you are at least 25, and that you live and work in the UK. That last condition is about enforceability rather than trust, and it is the usual reason someone living overseas cannot act as guarantor. If that applies to your family, ring the office before the student falls in love with a house, because there are usually options.
Read it before you sign it, and ask us about anything that is not clear. Nobody has ever annoyed us by asking.
- At least 25 years old
- Lives and works in the UK
- Covers your own student
- Ends with their tenancy
What can be asked for, and what protects it
The damage deposit is protected with the Deposit Protection Service, which holds it rather than us, and returns it through an adjudication process if there is ever a disagreement at the end. By law a deposit cannot exceed five weeks’ rent where the annual rent is under £50,000.
Every payment that comes to us is covered by Client Money Protect, so money handed over is not sitting unprotected in a company account. A £70 holding deposit is required when a tenant signs a Letter of Intent to reserve a room. It becomes rent when the Tenancy Agreement is signed, and is deducted from the first monthly rent payment at the start of the tenancy. What it does and does not commit you to is set out on the deposits and fees page.
- £200 deposit, protected with the DPS
- Client Money Protect
- One month's rent in advance, maximum
- £70 holding deposit
Certificates, repairs and somebody to ring
The practical reassurance is the part parents actually want.
- Gas and electrical certificates are current in every house we let.
- One bill covers rent and utilities, so there is no separate energy account to set up and divide between housemates.
- Repairs are carried out by our own maintenance team, so nothing waits for a landlord's permission. In 2025/26, 88% of repair requests were resolved the same or next day, and 94% within five days.
- Our Lincoln office is in the heart of the city. If something goes wrong or you just need advice, there is somebody to ring who knows the house.
That last one sounds slight and is not. The difference between a good year and a miserable one is usually how long a broken boiler takes to get fixed.
Five questions worth asking any landlord
Answers to these five questions will tell you more about the care you will receive than the photographs will.
- Is this an individual tenancy or a joint one?Joint means a Guarantor can be called on for a housemate's arrears. Ours are individual, apart from two bedroom houses.
- Exactly what does the guarantee cover, and when does it end?Rent only, or damage and charges too?
- How much is being asked for before the tenancy starts?One month's rent is the legal maximum, plus the deposit.
- Which scheme protects the deposit?It must be one of the three government-backed schemes. Ours is the Deposit Protection Service.
- Who does the tenant ring at eleven at night in winter?Ask for the actual arrangement rather than the promise of one.
If you would like to go through any of it with a person, visit or ring our office on 01522 589970.
