What Housing Hand does

Housing Hand is a UK-based rent guarantor service that enables tenants who lack UK credit history, a UK-based guarantor, or a deposit to secure rental accommodation. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in London, the company acts as a third-party guarantor for tenants, giving landlords and accommodation providers financial security against rent default. It serves four distinct segments: students (including international students), working professionals, parents and guardians, and landlords/accommodation providers. The company reports having supported over 100,000 tenants from 150+ countries, guaranteed over £1 billion in rent, and works with more than 4,000 accommodation providers, with a stated 98% acceptance rate.

The product suite is delivered through a self-serve digital platform with online application processing, tenant pre-qualification, and landlord verification. The core offering is the Guarantor Service, complemented by the Guarantor Passport (a pre-approval product that lets tenants demonstrate they have a qualified guarantor before viewing properties) and add-on modules including Go Depositless (deposit-free renting), House Finder (property search via a network of letting agents and landlords), Only My Share (rent protection limiting a tenant's liability to their own share when housemates default), and complimentary Health & Wellbeing support offering 24/7 access to NHS-practising doctors by phone.

Housing Hand operates a subscription-based revenue model, positioning itself as the only pay-monthly provider in the UK rent guarantor market, though specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is product-led, combining a self-serve online portal (registration and account management at hh.housinghand.com), phone and WhatsApp support, digital and content marketing (including social presence on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, WeChat, and RED/Xiaohongshu for international reach), and referral partnerships with universities and accommodation providers. The company is privately held with no disclosed parent, funding rounds, or external investment.

Name

Housing Hand

Legal name

Housing Hand

Website

https://housinghand.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Housing Hand is a UK rent guarantor service that lets tenants lacking UK credit history, a guarantor, or a deposit secure rental homes, serving students, professionals, parents/guardians, and landlords through a subscription-based, pay-monthly digital platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Rent Guarantor Subscription: Monthly subscription service where tenants pay for guarantor coverage. Described as the only pay monthly provider in the UK rent guarantor market. Provides complimentary health and wellbeing support to all customers as part of the subscription.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Housing Hand is a UK rent guarantor service that underwrites tenants (primarily students and professionals) by acting as their guarantor, enabling them to secure rental accommodation they could not access independently. The company operates a subscription-based, pay-monthly model and combines the core Guarantor Service with a pre-approval product (Guarantor Passport), a deposit alternative (Go Depositless), a property-search service (House Finder), housemate-default protection (Only My Share), and complimentary 24/7 health and wellbeing access.

Product overview

Housing Hand operates as a unified platform offering rent guarantor services for the UK rental market. The core offering consists of the Guarantor Passport (pre-approval product) and the Guarantor Service (the primary pay-monthly guarantor product), which are complemented by several add-on modules: Go Depositless (eliminates upfront deposit requirements), House Finder (property search assistance), Only My Share (rent protection when housemates default), and Health & Wellbeing (24/7 doctor consultations). The platform targets four distinct segments: students, professionals, parents/guardians, and accommodation providers/landlords. All products work together to create a streamlined rental journey from property search through tenancy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Guarantor Passport A pre-approval service that lets prospective tenants prove to landlords they have a qualified rent guarantor ready to step in, enabling them to secure a UK rental property before starting viewings. Intended for students, professionals, and other tenants who lack a UK-based guarantor.
• Guarantor Service The core rent guarantor offering under which Housing Hand underwrites tenants on behalf of UK landlords, billed through a monthly subscription model unique in the UK market. Includes complimentary 24/7 health and wellbeing support and is targeted at students, professionals, and other renters who cannot provide a UK-based guarantor.
• Go Depositless A service that enables tenants to secure a UK rental property and rent without paying a traditional deposit, removing a key financial barrier to renting. Used by students and professionals who lack the cash for a standard deposit.
• House Finder A property-finding service that connects tenants with a network of UK letting agents and landlords to help them identify a suitable rental property. Targeted at students and professionals using Housing Hand for guaranteed renting.
• Only My Share A rent protection mechanism that ensures a tenant (and their guarantor) is only liable for the tenant's own share of rent when co-tenants or housemates fail to pay. Targets tenants sharing accommodation with multiple occupiers on a single lease.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% acceptance rate for guarantor applications
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• HomeLet (Barbon Insurance): Established UK tenant-referencing and rental-insurance provider serving letting agents and landlords; offers landlord-targeted financial products overlapping with the B2B value Housing Hand provides to accommodation providers.
• Goodlord: UK rental-proptech platform providing referencing, contracts, deposits, and insurance across the lettings lifecycle; broader than Housing Hand's guarantor focus but operates in the same UK rental-market ecosystem serving landlords and agents.

Direct peers

• Reposit: UK deposit-replacement service that overlaps directly with Housing Hand's 'Go Depositless' product; both target renters lacking traditional deposits and landlords seeking alternative security in the UK residential market.
• TheGuarantors: US-focused rent guarantor company offering landlord-backed lease guarantees to renters; operates the same core business model as Housing Hand but in the United States, making it the closest geographic-adjacent peer.
• Rhino: US-based provider of security-deposit alternatives and rental insurance products, addressing the same renter-finance pain point as Housing Hand's guarantor and Go Depositless services in the US market.
• Canopy: UK-based tenant passport/credentialing and rent guarantor service directly competing with Housing Hand for the same international student and professional renter segment; offers a 'Canopy Passport' analogous to Housing Hand's Guarantor Passport.
• Jetty: US rental-finance platform offering deposit alternatives, lease guarantees, and renter insurance — covering the same guarantor/depositless product surface as Housing Hand, just in the US market.
• YourGuarantor: UK-based rent guarantor service competing head-to-head with Housing Hand for international and domestic tenants who lack UK guarantors; serves the same primary customer segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HousingHand
• Instagraminstagram.com/housing_hand
• TikToktiktok.com/@housinghand
• Xx.com/HousingHandUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/housing-hand

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Housing Hand