See what’s changing with tenant paying rent upfront and the introduction of professional guarantor options.
The Act impacts all Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs), including both new and existing tenancies, but excludes company lets and rents over £100k/year. When you work with us, you benefit from experienced, expert guidance—we’ll help you navigate what these changes mean in practice.
What’s changed with the rules of advanced rent and the guarantor products?
Tenants will no longer be allowed to make advance rent payments and this includes any shortfall payments on tenancies that start after 1 May 2026. This will affect some tenants who have historically used upfront rent payments (who had for example paid quarterly or yearly) as a way of satisfying referencing requirements.
We have been working closely with The Lettings Hub - our third party referencing provider - to introduce a ‘Professional Guarantor’ product.
Key considerations
- The Professional Guarantor product is only available to tenants with a landlords agreement.
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It then acts as their guarantor and removes the pressure of a tenant finding and asking a friend or family member to take on personal liability whilst providing you with peace of mind that the tenancy is guaranteed.
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This will be available for Housing Act tenancies up to £8,000pcm where a landlord has a rent collect or fully managed service with us
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For tenancies that started before the 1 May 2026, if the rent is currently paid more than one month in advance, i.e. quarterly, six-monthly, or annually, tenants will be able to continue with that advance payment scheme for the duration of their tenancy. It’s only when a new tenancy is agreed that advance payments will not be allowed.
We’re Here to Help
You’re not expected to navigate these changes on your own. When you instruct us to let your property, we’ll provide guidance to help you understand the new legislation, answer any questions, and help you make the right decisions for you. Whether you’re planning ahead or wanting to review the situation of your current tenancy we’re always happy to talk things through.