Guarantor vs Cosigner Apartment Options vs. a Higher Deposit

Last reviewed October 22, 2026. This is general information about renting in Texas, not legal or financial advice. Laws, prices, and screening rules change, so confirm details with each community and talk with an attorney about your own situation.

We hear from frustrated Texas renters after a low credit score or an old broken lease gets them a fast denial. Getting turned down like that feels terrible. Our team helps renters get past it every week.

Many renters think a score under 550 means the door is closed. It doesn't. We work with every credit score, including under 500.

The guarantor vs cosigner apartment question has a third answer too. You can use a guarantor program that Texas property managers trust, bring a personal co-signer, or pay a higher security deposit. Picking the wrong one can cost you hundreds or more in fees you won't get back.

Let’s look at the numbers behind each one and how to pick the right fit for your budget.

The three options compared

Three things decide between a co-signer, a guarantor, and a bigger deposit: your cash, a family member willing to help, and how long you'll stay. Here's what each one looks like in 2026, including what you'll spend up front.

Option	Cost	Refundable?	How Fast	Good Fit For
Guarantor service	About 40 to 130% of one month’s rent	No	Adds 1 to 2 days	Renters without family who can co-sign, or people with high income and low credit
Personal co-signer	Free	Nothing paid	Adds 0 to 1 day	Renters with a relative who has a 700+ credit score
Higher security deposit	Half to one extra month of rent	Yes (if you leave it clean)	Same day	Renters with cash on hand who plan to stay more than a year

We watch these costs closely. A standard Texas deposit is usually up to one month's rent. Properties will often double that for a second chance approval.

Here's where we usually start by credit score. We work with every band, and the options above are what tend to help:

Your score	What we work with	What usually helps
Under 500	Files with recent collections, charge-offs, or rental debt	A guarantor service or co-signer, proof of 3x income or more, and a higher deposit if you have the cash
500 to 529	Files rebuilding after late payments or collections	A guarantor service or co-signer, plus strong proof of income
530 to 579	Files with older marks and some recent on time payments	A higher deposit or guarantor service, plus bank statements that show steady income
580 to 619	Thin or bruised credit that sits close to many cutoffs	Proof of 3x income, and sometimes a somewhat higher deposit
620 to 679	Fair credit, often with one other mark to explain	Proof of 3x income and solid rental history
680 or higher	Good credit with an income, rental history, or background issue	Paperwork that answers the other issue, like bank statements or a guarantor
First-time renter or no credit	No credit file or no rental history yet	A co-signer, a guarantor service, bank statements, or a higher deposit

When the guarantor service wins

Pick a guarantor service when:

• You don't have a family member with strong credit.
• You don't have an extra month of rent in cash for a deposit.
• The community works with services like Jetty, OneApp, TheGuarantors, or Liberty Rent.
• You plan a shorter stay, so tying up a big deposit isn't worth it.

We're seeing more properties accept these services. Properties like knowing the rent is covered no matter what.

Common services in Texas:

• TheGuarantors: This big platform can approve you automatically in under ten seconds. It sets your price from your own file, often around 40 to 130 percent of one month’s rent.
• Jetty: Accepted at lots of corporate communities. Its main product, Jetty Deposit, works as a surety bond (a guarantee you pay for) in place of a cash deposit, not regular insurance. You pay a fee you don't get back, and you're still legally on the hook for any damage when you move out.
• Liberty Rent: Often used at workforce housing properties. The property brings it up, not you: the complex points you to it after turning you down over money.
• OneApp Guarantee: Another service some Texas properties accept.

You never get guarantor fees back. You pay the fee to get the lease, and that's it. There's no monthly charge after that, but you usually pay a new fee if you renew.

When a personal co-signer wins

Pick a personal co-signer when:

• A parent or relative with excellent credit is willing to help.
• The property takes personal co-signers.
• You can have an honest talk with them about the money they're signing up for.
• You don't have the cash for a bigger security deposit.

Check the income rules before you ask a relative. Big management companies are often strict about co-signers. A co-signer often has to show income of four to five times the monthly rent and strong credit.

That first talk with your relative matters a lot. A co-signer is legally on the hook for the whole lease if you stop paying.

“Property managers collect unpaid rent, late fees, and damage costs straight from the co-signer, just like they would from the main tenant.”

Check that your co-signer understands how this works under Texas law. They're putting their own credit score on the line so you can get a place.

When a higher deposit wins

Pick a higher deposit when:

• You have an extra month of rent or more in a checking or savings account.
• The community will have a person review your file when your credit falls short.
• You plan to stay long enough that getting the money back later is worth it.
• You'd rather keep family off your lease completely.

If you have the cash, we like the higher deposit route. It works like a forced savings account. The big plus is that the money is still yours.

Finish your lease with a clean move-out and you get it back. Over time, a $2,500 deposit you get back makes a lot more sense than a $2,000 guarantor fee you don't.

How to Get Your Deposit Back

Plenty of renters lose their deposits when they don't know the state rules. Under Texas Property Code Section 92.103 (opens in new tab), a landlord has 30 days to return your deposit or list, item by item, what they kept.

But there's a catch. Under Section 92.107, the landlord doesn't have to return anything until you give them a forwarding address in writing. Telling them out loud doesn't count in a Texas court.

Using more than one

Sometimes a community wants more than one safety net before handing over the keys. A landlord might ask for a guarantor service and a somewhat higher deposit at the same time.

We see this a lot when there's more than one bad mark on a background check. Say you have a score under 550 and a recent broken lease. That looks risky to the landlord. To cover it, the property might ask for a $1,000 deposit plus a guarantor service.

“Using both covers the property for damage and for rent that doesn't get paid.”

We keep track of these combinations across the properties we work with. Leasing agents tell us what each community on your short list wants, so you can have the right amount of cash ready.

What works at Class A luxury buildings

Renters with high income and low credit often want the nicest buildings. A guarantor service is usually the smoothest way into these high end units.

Corporate owners run most Class A properties, and they have strict money rules. They usually prefer guarantor services for two reasons:

• Guarantors cover lost rent, backed by insurance, with no extra work for the office.
• At two months of rent, a deposit in these buildings can easily top $4,000.

Our luxury second chance comparison guide goes deeper on Class A buildings.

What works at workforce housing

A higher deposit is very common at workforce communities in the suburbs around each metro. These properties are set up to take a bigger deposit in place of a family co-signer.

Many of them don't require a guarantor service at all. They handle weak credit or income with bigger deposits and a person who reads each application. The big exception is past rental history.

“Renters applying with past evictions or money owed to a property often need a guarantor service to get approved.”

Programs like Liberty Rent step in for these tough cases. Tell us your situation, including which option you like or can't use. Your agent will send a short list of communities in your Texas metro that fit your background. It's fast, free, and judgment free.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a guarantor program?

It's a paid service (TheGuarantors, OneApp Guarantee, Liberty Rent) that signs on as your guarantor when you don't have a personal co-signer. You pay a fee of about 40 to 130% of one month's rent, and the service backs the lease for its full term. You usually pay again if you renew.

Co-signer or higher deposit: which is better?

That comes down to cost, what the community prefers, and your situation. A higher deposit is paid once, and you get it back when you move out clean. Guarantor fees don't come back, but they don't tie up your cash. A personal co-signer is free but puts a family member's credit on the hook.

Do guarantor programs really cost money?

Yes. On a $1,500 a month apartment, fees you won't get back usually run about $600 to $1,950, and more on pricier units. Still, that can cost you less than having a $5,000 deposit tied up with the community, especially if you won't stay long.