10 Questions to Ask Any Guaranteed Rent Company Before You Sign

A guaranteed rent agreement can be one of the calmest ways to let a property. Fixed rent every month, no voids, no midnight calls about a broken boiler. The catch is that it is only ever as good as the company on the other side of the signature. The difference between a smooth few years and a difficult one usually comes down to what you asked before you signed.

You do not need to be a lawyer to ask well. You need a short list of questions and the nerve to keep asking until the answers are in writing. Below are the ten we would put to any operator, including us. None of it is legal advice. Speak to an independent solicitor before anything gets signed.

Why the questions matter more than the rent figure

Most landlords start by comparing the monthly rent figures on offer. That is the wrong place to start. A headline number tells you almost nothing on its own. Four things sit behind every rent figure and each one changes what that number is really worth to you over the length of the agreement you end up signing.

• How long it is promised for. The term decides how long that number is actually fixed.
• When it starts. On signing, or weeks later once a guest checks in.
• What it covers. Bills left in your name change the real figure.
• What happens if the company cannot pay it. The rent is only ever worth the company behind it.

Two offers at the same headline rent figure can be worlds apart. One starts paying on signing and covers every bill during the term. The other starts only when the first guest checks in, six weeks later, with the bills still sitting in your name. The questions below are how you tell them apart before the difference costs you anything.

The 10 questions and why each one matters

Work through these in the meeting itself, not afterwards on the drive home. Ask for every answer you get to be reflected in the written agreement rather than left as a verbal assurance. A professional operator will not mind a single one of them being asked. Reluctance to answer any of them is an answer in itself.

1. How long is the corporate lease and what are the break clauses? The term sets how long your rent is fixed at the figure you have been quoted. The break clauses decide how either side ends the agreement early and how much notice is needed. Get both in plain words rather than buried in a schedule at the back of the document.

2. When does rent start, on signing or when the first guest checks in? This single answer can be worth several weeks of rent. Some agreements start the day the lease is signed. Others only start once the first guest checks in, which can be some way down the line. Get the exact start date written into the agreement rather than agreed on a call.

3. Who pays the utility bills during the term? Gas, electricity, water, council tax, broadband and the TV licence all add up over a year. We cover them on our standard agreements. Ask any company you speak to who carries each of those costs during the term and confirm the answer is written into the agreement rather than assumed.

4. What happens to my rent if you go into administration and is it ringfenced? No company can promise it will never fail. Ask what protection you have if it does, whether the rent is ringfenced and how quickly you would regain possession of the property. A properly drafted lease sets out your position, so have a solicitor read that section before you sign.

5. Are you registered on Companies House and can I see your company number? A genuine operator will hand the number over without hesitation. You can check any company free at find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk, confirm it is active and note the incorporation date and the directors. If a company will not give you its number, that tells you most of what you need to know.

6. Do you carry public liability insurance and can I see the certificate? Ask for the actual document rather than a verbal yes. Check the cover is current and that it covers serviced accommodation use, not just a standard let. Insurance is one of the easiest things for a company to claim it has, so it is one of the easiest to verify.

7. Who handles maintenance and repairs and to what standard? Clarify who fixes what, how quickly they turn up and who pays for it, so there are no arguments when something breaks at the worst possible moment. Ask what standard the property is kept to between stays as well, because that is what your asset looks like when you get it back.

8. Does this arrangement need my mortgage lender's consent and will you help me obtain it? Many buy-to-let mortgages and head leases have conditions on subletting and serviced accommodation use. Ask early rather than after the paperwork is drawn up, then confirm the position with your lender and a solicitor. A company that has dealt with this before should be able to point you in the right direction.

9. What guest vetting do you carry out before anyone stays? Your property is your asset and the people staying in it are the main risk to it. Ask how guests are screened before a booking is accepted, what identification is taken and what house rules are enforced once they arrive. Ask what happens when a guest breaks them too.

10. How do I get my property back at the end of the term and in what condition? Ask about the notice you have to give, the process for handing the property back and the condition standard it will be returned in, ideally with fair wear and tear excepted in writing. The end of the term is the part most landlords never think about until it arrives.

These ten sit alongside the wider due diligence you should be doing on any operator before you hand over your keys. Our guide to whether guaranteed rent is safe sets out the ten checks that go with them and covers the same ground from a different angle. Put both lists to us directly when you request a free rent offer.

How Beacon answers these questions

We would rather you asked us all ten than none. Beacon Living Group Ltd is registered in England and Wales, company number 17076795. You can confirm that in under a minute at Companies House. We take properties on a written corporate lease naming the rent, the term and the break clauses. It states when rent starts.

On our standard agreements we cover the utility bills during the term. We are a young company, incorporated in March 2026. We do not dress that up as anything else. What we offer instead is straight answers about who we are and how the model works. Have your own solicitor read any agreement before you sign it. Ours included.