A cosigner is someone over 18 who supports the tenant's guarantor application and agrees to share responsibility for the tenant's financial and rental obligations. Cosigners are not assessed on income — no proof of income, savings or affordability is required.
Who can be a cosigner:
A parent, family member or friend — they do not need to live in the UK.
Not a co-tenant, and not someone living in the same rented property.
The cosigner is contacted by email, with WhatsApp and SMS used as well in case emails fail to deliver. They verify their identity and sign their part of the agreement; both are tracked on the application's checklist and activity feed.
If the cosigner's invitation bounces, correct the address from the application or invite a different cosigner. A cosigner who stops responding can be replaced — the tenant chooses who acts for them.
Some applications are approved to proceed without a cosigner. For those, the cosigner step does not appear at all rather than showing as skipped.