There are situations where a tenant cannot be included on a rental contract at the point it is originally set up, but needs to be added later. This is more common than you might think, and it does not mean the existing Rentmigo arrangement needs to be cancelled or restarted.
Important: this only applies when a tenant is being added to an existing tenancy agreement
This process is specifically for situations where you are adding a new tenant to a tenancy agreement that is already in place. If a brand new tenancy agreement is being drawn up, for example at renewal or if the original contract is being replaced entirely, the standard Rentmigo application process would apply as normal, including a new guarantee fee. The side letter route described below only applies where the existing tenancy agreement remains in force and a new tenant is simply being added to it.
Why might a tenant need to be added later?
Most of the time, this comes down to timing. A tenant may not have been eligible to be named on the rental contract when the original arrangement was put in place, even though everyone involved always intended for them to move in.
Common examples include a proposed occupant who was under 18 at the time the original application was submitted and has since turned 18, a tenant who was waiting for their Right to Rent documentation to come through, or a partner or family member who was not initially named on the contract but is now being formally added to the tenancy. In all of these cases, the original arrangement stays exactly as it is. Nothing needs to be undone.
Do you need to cancel the existing arrangement?
No. Once a Rent Guarantee Agreement has been fully signed, it is a legally binding document and cannot be retracted or reissued. There is no need to cancel it, and doing so would not be appropriate given it is already in force.
Instead, the new tenant is added to the existing arrangement through a side letter amendment. This sits alongside the original agreement and formally brings the additional tenant into the arrangement without replacing what is already in place.
Is there an additional fee for the tenant?
No. If the full guarantee fee has already been paid on the original arrangement, there is no additional fee to add a new tenant. The fee already paid covers the arrangement in full.
What does the new tenant need to do?
The new tenant will still need to complete their own Rentmigo application so that we can carry out our standard affordability and identity checks. This is a straightforward process and works in the same way as any other Rentmigo application.
Once the new tenant has been assessed and approved, we issue the side letter amendment and the new tenant is formally added to the arrangement. That is all there is to it. If you have any questions about adding a tenant to an existing arrangement, please get in touch with us directly and we will be happy to help.