Zero Deposit Working With COHO on Guarantor Scheme

For people trying to rent this way of essentially insuring their deposit can only be a good thing, as it avoids tying up quite a bit of cash for years – assuming you have a 3K deposit in London or some other parts of the UK of course. Here are the details;

Zero Deposit has partnered with COHO, the shared-living property platform, to give housemates greater flexibility over how they meet deposit and guarantor requirements, helping more tenants move into their new home without the need for a traditional cash deposit or personal guarantor.

Under the partnership, COHO tenants will be able to access Zero Deposit’s Guarantor+ and Zero Deposit Guarantee products as part of the tenancy application process. This gives renters an alternative to the traditional upfront costs and personal guarantor requirements that can create barriers to moving into shared accommodation, particularly for students, young professionals, self-employed renters and those moving to the UK from overseas.

What is Guarantor+?

Guarantor+ is a regulated insurance product that provides an alternative to a traditional personal guarantor, with eligible tenants able to receive an approval decision in minutes. It is designed to help landlords and agents confidently rent to applicants who may not have access to a suitable personal guarantor, while providing rent and legal protection where appropriate.
What is Zero Deposit Guarantee?
The Zero Deposit Guarantee gives tenants a choice over how they provide deposit protection. They can choose a deposit alternative, paying the equivalent of one week’s rent plus a set-up fee either upfront or spread across 12 monthly payments through Flex, or opt for a traditional cash deposit.

For tenants, landlords, and property managers

The partnership brings these options directly into the shared-living journey, allowing renters to consider their deposit and guarantor options at the point of application rather than having to navigate separate processes after finding a property.

For COHO’s landlords, the partnership provides access to regulated protection while giving prospective tenants more choice. COHO already provides tools covering tenant onboarding, referencing, tenancy agreements, rent management, compliance and deposit management, with the platform designed specifically around the requirements of shared-living properties.

Shared living can attract a particularly diverse tenant base, including people moving for work, students, international renters and those renting independently for the first time. For some, the traditional requirement for a UK-based personal guarantor can be difficult to meet, while finding the money for a large upfront deposit can also make moving into a property more challenging.

The partnership is therefore designed to give tenants more ways to complete a tenancy while maintaining protection for landlords and agents. COHO listings already support deposit replacement and professional guarantor options, with current properties on the platform directing eligible applicants towards Zero Deposit’s products where appropriate.

Alec Mckenzie, Commercial Director at Zero Deposit, commented:

“COHO has built an impressive platform focused on making shared living work better for renters, landlords and agents, with 150,000 tenancies now represented in its platform data. That makes this partnership a natural fit with our mission to make renting easier, faster and fairer for all.

COHO’s own research shows that affordability remains the number one reason people choose shared living, while its platform serves a diverse and increasingly important part of the rental market. We want to make sure good tenants can access the homes they want without unnecessary barriers created by deposits or traditional guarantor requirements.

By integrating Zero Deposit Guarantee and Guarantor+ directly into the COHO journey, we can give renters more choice while giving landlords the protection and confidence they need to say yes. It is exactly what we mean by a fairer way to yes: widening access to renting while providing landlords with protection against specified tenancy risks.

What makes the partnership particularly exciting is the combination of COHO’s scale and technology with our products and protection. Rather than adding another process for renters or property managers, we are building these options into the existing tenancy journey, making them available at the point they are actually needed.”

Vann Vogstad, Founder of COHO, commented:

“Finding and securing a new home should be as straightforward as possible. By bringing Zero Deposit’s deposit and guarantor options directly into our platform, we can give tenants more choice, make moving more affordable, and open the door for people who may struggle to meet the upfront requirements.

By having everything in one place, as part of the same application journey, it also removes layers of complexity and the inconvenience of having to navigate separate services and processes. This convenience is particularly valuable in shared living, where people often need to move quickly.

For landlords and agents, it creates a smoother application process and fewer delays while importantly also providing reassurance that the right protections are in place.”