My guarantor has concerns about providing private financial information to the landlord for my rental application. What should I do?

This is a natural reaction and it is certainly something that you and your guarantor need to be careful about.  It is a standard practice for landlords and management companies to require guarantors to provide social security, bank/investment account, tax, assets and other financial information.  They want to protect themselves and ensure that the guarantor is legitimate and can back the tenants on the lease for full payment through the term of the lease, if necessary.

Guarantors should provide enough information to satisfy the requirements of the landlord / management company, but do not have to supply additional documents, unless requested.  A residential real estate attorney can provide advice on these matters if necessary.

Lastly, make sure you are dealing with a reputable landlord / management company who can be trusted with your guarantor’s private information.  Generally, if you are trying to rent an apartment, the requirements will need to be complied with, so do everything you can to emphasize the importance of discretion and security of all documents and information submitted.