Usually, yes. A landlord can ask for a co-signer or guarantor in most of the US and Canada, but the ask comes with rules. A co-signer request based on a screening report needs an FCRA notice, Portland caps what a guarantor must earn, and Ontario requires the same rule for every applicant. This is information, not legal advice.
Can a landlord require a co-signer or guarantor?
In most places, yes. No federal law bans the request, and most states and provinces treat a guarantor as a normal way to approve an applicant who falls short on income or credit. The legal risk sits in three places: why you asked, who you asked, and what you asked the guarantor to prove.
When does asking for a co-signer need an FCRA notice?
Whenever a consumer report played any part in the decision. The Federal Trade Commission's guidance for landlords lists requiring a co-signer as an adverse action, alongside denying the application, asking for a bigger deposit and charging higher rent.
If a credit, eviction or background report pushed you toward the co-signer, the applicant gets a notice. It names the company that supplied the report with its address and phone number, says that company did not make the decision, and explains the right to dispute the report and get a free copy within 60 days. The FTC says the notice is due even if the report played only a small part.
Most managers send a notice when they deny someone. Far fewer send one for "approved, with a co-signer". Our guide to the three parts of an adverse action notice covers the wording.
What does Portland limit about guarantors?
Portland City Code 30.01.086 allows a guarantor, but only in a set way. When an applicant misses the city's income ratio (capped at 2.5 times the rent below the moderate-income rent level, 2 times above it), you may offer a conditional approval with a guarantor or an extra deposit. The offer must be in writing, state the amount, and give the applicant at least 48 hours to answer.
Two limits catch people. A friend or family guarantor cannot be required to earn more than three times the rent. And the guarantee cannot run longer than the lease, so an open-ended one that rolls into every renewal does not work there.
Can Ontario landlords ask for a guarantor?
Yes, with one firm condition. The Ontario Human Rights Commission says housing providers can ask for a guarantor only if the landlord has the same requirement for all tenants, not just for people identified by Code grounds, such as recent immigrants or people receiving social assistance. The same policy calls rent-to-income cut-offs such as a 30 percent rule illegal.
Steps to Justice, Ontario's public legal information service, draws the line plainly. Bad references, bad credit or unpaid rent can justify the ask. Being a single parent, new to Canada, on social assistance, disabled or young cannot.
| Rule | What triggers it | What you must do |
|---|---|---|
| FCRA (US) | A screening report influenced the ask | Send an adverse action notice |
| Portland | Applicant misses the income ratio | Written offer, 48 hours, guarantor income capped at 3x rent |
| Ontario | Any guarantor requirement | Same terms for every applicant |
Where does the guarantor ask go wrong in practice?
Usually in the first conversation, not the lease. A caller asks "do I need a co-signer if I'm new to the country?" and whoever picks up answers from instinct. One agent says yes, another says it depends, and the file now shows a guarantor rule applied to one group and not another. In Ontario that is the exact pattern the Commission warns about.
The fix is a written rule tied to objective facts (income, credit, rental history) and the same answer to every caller. LetHub answers rental inquiries by text, chat and phone in about 30 seconds and gives every prospect the answers you set for the unit, so the co-signer question gets one answer every time. Book a demo to see it on your listings.
Co-signers and guarantors: FAQ
Is a co-signer the same as a guarantor?
Close enough for most leases. A co-signer usually signs the lease and shares responsibility from day one, while a guarantor promises to pay if the tenant does not. Many landlords use the words interchangeably. What matters is what your lease and guarantee actually say about who owes what.
Do I need to send a notice if I approve with a co-signer?
In the US, yes, if a consumer report influenced the decision. The FTC treats requiring a co-signer as an adverse action, so the applicant gets a notice naming the screening company and explaining the right to dispute and to a free report within 60 days.
Can I require every applicant to have a guarantor?
In Ontario, a rule applied to every tenant on the same terms is what the Human Rights Commission allows. Elsewhere a blanket rule is usually legal but costs you good applicants. Most managers tie the requirement to income or credit and write it into the published screening policy.
How much income can I require from a guarantor?
Most places set no cap, so it is your written policy. Portland does: a friend or family guarantor cannot be required to earn more than three times the rent, and the guarantee cannot outlast the lease. Check your own city and state or provincial rules first.
