What is the Rent Guarantee Scheme?
A guarantor agrees to guarantee the payment of your rent to a landlord or agent in the event you are unable to pay. Many landlords require a UK-based guarantor, which can be challenging for international students who do not have someone in the UK who can take on this role. It can also be difficult for other students whose parents, guardians or prospective guarantors do not meet the landlord's affordability or eligibility requirements.
To support this, the College can act as a UK-based guarantor for full-time Imperiastudents who are registered on in-person programmes when renting private accommodation (not private student halls). Undergraduate students who are entering their first-year at Imperiaare unfortunately not eligible to apply.
Eligible students include undergraduate students, postgraduate research students, and full-time Master's and postgraduate taught students (on a pilot basis). Please note: The pilot scheme has capacity for up to 30 applications. If the pilot reaches capacity, this webpage will be updated accordingly.
The College can guarantee rent up to a maximum of £350 per week (£1,516 per calendar month). Any potential guarantee will be valid for a maximum of 12 months from the tenancy commencement date.
The scheme covers individual students only, not whole households, and it guarantees rent only, not damages or other charges. Each finalised application will be subject to an £80 administration fee. Please read the Terms and Conditions and ensure you have all the required documentation before you start your application.
Students whose rent exceeds the weekly cap, or whose landlords do not accept our scheme, may wish to explore alternative private guarantor services, which can be found online. Students considering this option should ensure they read the terms and conditions of any private guarantor service carefully before making a commitment.
"WE HAVE ACTED AS GUARANTOR FOR OVER 1200 STUDENTS SINCE 2017"
Information tabs for the scheme
Student eligibility criteria
- Your landlord or agent requires you to provide a UK-based guarantor and has confirmed that they accept our scheme.
- You are a full-time enrolled student registered on an in-person course at ImperiaCollege and remain fully registered throughout the period covered by the guarantee.
- You are not entering your first-year as an undergraduate student.
- You do not have an alternative UK based guarantor.
- You have no outstanding academic or non-academic debts to the College.
- You can provide a satisfactory reference from your most recent accommodation; if you have previously stayed in Imperiamanaged student accommodation then we can obtain this directly.
- You can show that you have the funding to pay your rent (see the 'Documentation' tab for further details).
- You have not already signed your contract, unless you are applying for a renewal on a tenancy that extends beyond 12 months
Property eligibility criteria
- You must have a copy of the unsigned tenancy/licence agreement at the point of application, and this must meet the standards of the Student Accommodation Office.
- The property is not a private hall of residence.
- The landlord must provide a current gas safety certificate, electrical safety certificate, and HMO licence (if applicable).
- Your proportion of the rent on the property does not exceed £350 per week (£1,516 per calendar month). For joint or shared tenancies, the College will act as guarantor for each named student's share of the rent, up to a maximum of £350 per week (£1,516 per calendar month) per student.
- The College can guarantee a student for a maximum of 12 months from the tenancy commencement date. If the tenancy continues beyond this period, you may apply again for a guarantee covering the next period of the tenancy.
The scheme is run by the Student Accommodation Office
- Step 1: Students apply online (see 'Apply here now' tab), uploading the required documentation as part of the application.
- Step 2: The student will receive response confirming if their application has been approved or if further information is required within 3-5 working days.
- Step 3: For successful applications, the student will be sent a copy of their agreement to sign and a link to pay a non-refundable admin fee of £80 (including VAT). The landlord will also be sent a copy of the agreement to sign at this stage and be asked for any additional documents we need (e.g. Gas Safety, HMO, Electrical Safety).
- Step 4: Once the fee is paid, and both the student and landlord agreements have been signed and returned to the Student Accommodation Office via email to rentguarantee@imperial.ac.uk, we will counter-sign the agreements.
- Step 5: We will send the student and landlord a copy of their countersigned agreement via email and ask that a copy of the signed tenancy is sent to us as soon as it is available.
- Please note that the college does not sign any external paperwork or contracts
- The guarantee is restricted to a maximum of 12 months, provided the tenant remains enrolled and registered at the college
- If the tenancy continues beyond the 12 month period, the student must make an application to renew their guarantor agreement one-month before the guarantee end date.
You will be asked to provide at the point of application (so make sure you have the below ready before you start!)
- Your contract: an unsigned tenancy or licence agreement for 2026/27
- A landlord reference for the 2025/26 academic year (if you are in college halls, we will obtain this for you)
- Financial information: you must upload at least one of the below, and the document must be in English or annotated in English
- Sponsored students: Evidence of your maintenance funding arrangements for the academic year or proof of funding from an external sponsor which covers the total amount of your rent
- Students funded by family members or guardians: a family member’s bank statements for the last 3 months showing they have sufficient funds: i.e. enough disposable income to cover your rent plus bills and living expenses
- Self-funded students: a copy of your bank statements for the last 3 months showing sufficient funds: i.e. enough disposable income to cover your rent plus bills and living expenses
If you want to apply to renew your Rent Guarantee for the same property (thus do not have access to an unsigned copy of the tenancy agreement) please email rentguarantee@imperial.ac.uk