How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- A guarantor company co-signs your lease for a one time fee, typically between about 40 percent and just over 100 percent of one month's rent, paid before you sign and usually non refundable once the lease starts.
- The fee protects the landlord, not you. If the company pays your landlord after a default, you owe the company, and it can pursue you for the money.
- Bad credit does not mean automatic approval. These companies still underwrite: most want to see income, often 25 to 30 times the monthly rent across the lease, even when a credit score is weak.
- Ask your landlord which guarantors the building accepts before you pay anyone. A guarantee from a company your landlord does not recognise is money spent for nothing.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 TheGuarantors | Wide landlord acceptance | See website | No |
 Insurent | Renters with income but thin credit | See website | No |
 Leap | Fee priced as a share of annual rent | See website | No |
 Cosign | A newer tenant paid option | See website | No |
 SingleKey | Landlord paid rent guarantee | See website | No |
 Greenlight Rent | Deposit alternative from Rhino and Jetty | See website | No |
 Obligo | Deposit free renting billed monthly | See website | No |
 Nomad | Landlord side guaranteed rent | See website | No |
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The best lease guarantor companies for bad credit
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
TheGuarantors is the name landlords mention first, which is half its value: a guarantee only works if the building accepts it, and this company's network of partner landlords is the widest in the category. Its products cover the lease obligation and, in some buildings, the deposit as well.
The regulatory history belongs in the open. In 2022 New York's Department of Financial Services fined the company after finding a mismatch between the coverage approved and the coverage its bonds actually provided. The lesson generalises: read the certificate you are buying, confirm the months and amounts it covers, and keep a copy with your lease.
What we like- One of the largest and most widely accepted guarantor services in the US, priced per lease rather than per person, so roommates can split the fee, its published range runs from about 40 percent of a month's rent to a little over a full month for a one year lease, works with many large property managers
Watch out for- Pricing is personalised, so you learn your fee late in the process, New York regulators fined it $199,000 in 2022 after finding its filed lease bonds covered nine months where twelve were approved, meaning paperwork deserves reading, approval still depends on income and file review
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Insurent is the oldest name in this business and the most transparent about price, which earns it a high place even though it is not the easiest approval here. The fee bands are public, the refund position is stated in its own FAQ, and landlords in its core markets know the certificate on sight.
For the bad credit reader, the catch is the bar. Insurent has historically aimed at renters whose problem is a thin file, foreign credit or self employment rather than a damaged score, and it publishes an income multiple of 27.5 times monthly rent. Run its prequalification honestly before counting on it; if your income clears the bar and the score is the only problem, it is a strong, legible option.
What we like- Published fee bands: about 70 to 90 percent of one month's rent for applicants with US credit, higher for applicants without US credit history, its renter FAQ says the fee is refunded if you do not get the apartment, a long operating history in New York and other major metros, clear qualification rules published up front
Watch out for- Qualification is stricter than the marketing suggests: its published standard for US renters is income of at least 27.5 times the monthly rent with decent to good credit, renters with genuinely poor credit may not qualify, coverage is metro focused rather than national everywhere
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Leap prices its guarantee against the whole lease rather than one month, and quoted examples in 2026 reporting cluster around 4.5 to 8 percent of annual rent. On a typical lease that converts to roughly half to most of a month's rent, competitive with the leaders here, but do the conversion for your own numbers rather than trusting the smaller looking percentage.
What we like- Fees quoted as a share of annual rent, reported around 4.5 to 8 percent, which can work out below a full month's rent, per lease pricing that roommates can split, works with property managers in many states, also offers deposit replacement products in the same relationship
Watch out for- The annual rent framing makes comparison with monthly rent quotes awkward, so convert before judging, acceptance depends on the landlord's participation, underwriting still applies, pricing examples vary between sources
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Cosign appears in 2026 comparisons as one of the newer tenant paid guarantor services, selling the same core product: qualify with the company, pay the fee, and present the landlord a corporate co-signer instead of a relative. Newer entrants sometimes underwrite files the incumbents decline, which is the honest reason a bad credit renter might try it.
The trade is recognition. A guarantor's value is mostly the landlord's confidence in the paper, and a smaller name carries less of it. Confirm acceptance in writing from the building before paying, and get the fee, coverage period and refund terms in writing too. Those steps protect you with every company here, and matter most with the newest.
What we like- A tenant paid guarantor service in the same mould as the leaders, aimed at renters who fail standard screening on credit or history, positions itself on faster, simpler applications
Watch out for- A smaller and newer brand, so landlord recognition is thinner, published pricing and qualification detail is harder to verify independently, acceptance must be confirmed building by building
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
SingleKey flips the model. Instead of the renter buying a guarantor, the landlord buys a guarantee that rent will be paid, and screens tenants through the same platform. For a renter with bad credit, the practical meaning is narrow but real: a landlord insured this way can afford to be more flexible on a damaged file, because the default risk is covered.
You cannot apply to SingleKey as your co-signer for an unrelated building, so treat this entry as intelligence rather than a route: if a listing mentions a rent guarantee programme, ask whether your file can be considered under it. Landlords rarely advertise their flexibility; the guarantee is what buys it.
What we like- Its rent guarantee is bought by the landlord, so as a tenant you may be approved in a SingleKey building without paying a guarantor fee yourself, covers unpaid rent and some damage and legal costs for the landlord under its terms, also offers tenant screening and reporting services in the same platform
Watch out for- It is the landlord's product, not yours: you cannot hire it to co-sign you into a building that does not use it, availability follows its landlord base, strongest in Canada and expanding in the US, the tenant experience is being screened, not being served
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Rhino and Jetty built the security deposit insurance category, and their combined successor is Greenlight Rent. The product swaps a deposit of a month's rent or more for a small monthly premium or one time fee. For a renter whose credit passes but whose savings cannot cover deposit plus first month plus moving costs, that swap is genuinely useful.
Do not mistake it for help with a bad credit rejection, and do not mistake the fee for a deposit: pay premiums for three years and leave the flat spotless, and nothing comes back. Consumer advocates have pressed this point with regulators, and some states now require the fee's non refundable nature to be disclosed and a deposit option to remain available.
What we like- The successor brand to Rhino and Jetty, two of the best known deposit alternative names, after their combination, replaces a large upfront security deposit with a smaller fee or monthly premium, offered through large property managers, frees move in cash for renters whose problem is the deposit, not the income test
Watch out for- It is not a classic guarantor: it addresses the deposit, not the landlord's income and credit requirements, deposit alternative fees are non refundable, unlike a deposit, and a May 2026 National Consumer Law Center report criticised exactly that feature across this product class, its lease guarantee pricing is not published
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Obligo's twist on deposit free renting is to pre authorise charges against your bank account instead of selling a policy: no large deposit leaves your hands, and the landlord can charge up to the agreed amount for unpaid rent or damage at move out, with Obligo paying the landlord and billing you. Monthly service charges are modest next to a deposit's opportunity cost.
The qualification step is the part a bad credit renter should notice: Obligo checks the account and file before authorising, so it helps renters whose issue is cash timing more than credit damage. And the authorisation is real: dispute rights exist, but the money can move first. Keep your own move in and move out photos; with deposit alternatives, your documentation is your defence.
What we like- Removes the upfront deposit through a billing authorisation model rather than an insurance fee, charges are made only if the landlord files a valid claim up to the authorised amount, offered by large property managers, keeps move in cash in your account
Watch out for- Again a deposit product, not a guarantor for weak credit files, you must qualify for the authorisation, which involves a bank connection and checks, if a claim is filed you owe it, and disputes run through its process, fees for the service apply under its terms
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Nomad closes the list for the same reason SingleKey is on it. It sells landlords leasing services with guaranteed rent attached. A landlord whose rent is guaranteed can look at a renter's income, history and references as a whole instead of rejecting at a credit threshold, and platforms like this are part of why some listings are quietly more flexible than their stated criteria.
There is nothing to apply for here as a tenant. The useful action is in the conversation: when a landlord hesitates over your file, asking whether they use a rent guarantee service, or would accept one of the tenant paid guarantors above, turns a flat no into a negotiation. That question costs nothing, which makes it the best value item in this guide.
What we like- Guarantees rent to landlords who use its platform, which can make those landlords more flexible on tenant files, combines leasing, screening and the guarantee in one landlord workflow, a tenant in a Nomad managed property may face a more individual assessment than a hard credit cutoff
Watch out for- Entirely landlord side: you cannot buy it as a renter, its property footprint decides whether it is relevant to you at all, terms and coverage are the landlord's contract, not yours
How we chose
We covered the tenant paid guarantors a renter can actually hire, then added the landlord paid guarantees and deposit alternatives that landlords raise in the same conversation, labelled by model so the difference is unmistakable. Fee ranges come from company published material and 2026 reporting; where sources disagreed we wrote the range rather than a point figure. We excluded informal co-signer matching services and any company whose pitch is that approval is guaranteed, because that claim is never true in underwriting. We did not apply for any guarantee.
How to get approved with bad credit without wasting fees
Sequence is everything. First, ask the landlord or agent which guarantor companies the building already accepts, in writing if you can. Landlords often have two or three approved names. Applying anywhere else first burns application fees and hope in the wrong order.
Second, fix the part of the file you control before applying. Guarantors weigh income stability, rent history and the reason for the credit damage. A paid off collection, a landlord reference letter and bank statements showing the rent is affordable answer the questions underwriters actually ask. A medical collection from four years ago reads very differently from unpaid rent last year; make that distinction easy to see.
Third, do the full move in maths with the fee included. A guarantee at 80 percent of a month's rent, plus application fees, first month and any deposit the building still requires, can exceed the cost of choosing a cheaper flat or a landlord who self manages and judges files individually. Private landlords are often the real alternative to this entire category: many never use screening cutoffs at all.
Finally, protect yourself inside the arrangement. Get the fee, the coverage months and the refund terms in writing before paying. Know that if the guarantor pays out, you owe the guarantor, with collections and court as their tools. And know your local law: several states and cities cap deposits, restrict who can be required to use these products, or require that a refundable deposit remain an option. A tenant advice line in your city will tell you in one call.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a lease guarantor company cost?
Typically a one time fee between about 40 percent and just over 100 percent of one month's rent for a one year lease, depending on the company and your file. On a $2,000 a month flat, budget roughly $800 to $2,200. The fee is usually due before signing and is generally not refundable once the lease begins, though some companies refund it if you are not approved or do not get the flat.
Will a guarantor company approve me with bad credit?
Maybe, and anyone promising certainty is lying. These companies underwrite: income, employment, rent history and the shape of the credit damage all count. Strong income with an old, explainable credit problem is the profile most likely to pass. Recent unpaid rent or evictions are the hardest marks, because they predict exactly the loss being guaranteed.
What happens if the guarantor has to pay my landlord?
The landlord claims under the guarantee and gets paid. You then owe the guarantor company that amount, and it can charge fees, report the debt and sue for it under your agreement. The guarantee removes the landlord's risk, not yours. Your obligation moves; it does not shrink.
Is a deposit alternative the same as a guarantor?
No. A guarantor answers the landlord's question about your ability and willingness to pay across the lease. A deposit alternative replaces the upfront security deposit with a fee, premium or billing authorisation. They solve different problems, some buildings offer both, and paying for one does not fix a rejection based on the other.
Are there cheaper alternatives to a guarantor company?
Yes, and try them first: a family co-signer costs nothing; a larger deposit where the law allows it is refundable, unlike a fee; a roommate with a stronger file can carry the application; and smaller private landlords often judge the whole file rather than a cutoff. City run rental assistance and guarantee programmes also exist in some markets for qualifying households.
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Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.