A guarantor is now a mandatory requirement across the rental market?
The owner/agent of this place is telling me they can't let me view the place, let alone rent it, unless I have a guarantor who owns a home and earns good money. They said I will find that guarantor requirements are now the norm across the rental market and that I would struggle to find anywhere that doesn't require one these days. I questioned this as I thought this was only for people with poor credit and if the monthly income is less than 3x the monthly rent, but they insisted it's a standard requirement now. Is it really that bad now in 2026?
I earn ~£32.9k, have been employed at the same company for 7+ years, my credit score is "excellent" with zero missed payment history, I have £20,000+ in savings, and I proof of ID/address/income ready to send. The place in question is £725pcm rent, so my income is 3.7x my salary, well above the requirements.
The only people in my family who own a house are retired and don't earn enough from their pension to be a guarantor. Of the small circle of friends/acquaintances I do know, most of them rent, but the ones who own generally wouldn't trust being a guarantor for someone.
All I can do is keep going and see if I can find a landlord who doesn't require a guarantor. Is there anything else I can do?