The short answer
If you have the cash, a bigger deposit usually costs the least in the end, since most of it comes back. A guarantor company works when nobody you know can cosign, but its fee is gone for good. Below are the 2026 numbers for each, and when we'd pick one over the other.
What that means for you
The right choice comes down to how much cash you have upfront and who you know. A higher deposit ties up your money until you move out. A guarantor service costs money you'll never see again.
Add up the full move-in cost before you put in an application. Not every Texas community takes a guarantor company, so we check that before you pay one.
What Each Option Costs in 2026
Guarantor companies usually charge a nonrefundable fee of about 70% to 110% of one month’s rent, or roughly 6% to 9% of a year's rent.
Renters with a riskier file usually get asked for a deposit of 1.5 to 2 months of rent. If you have the cash, that's the route we'd pick.
You get that money back after you move out, minus any unpaid rent or damage beyond normal wear and tear. A personal cosigner is the hardest of the three to line up. They have to pass strict screening themselves.
| Option | Typical Upfront Cost | Refundable? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Higher Deposit | 1.5x to 2x monthly rent | Yes (mostly) | Renters with plenty of cash saved |
| Guarantor Company | 70% to 110% of one month’s rent | No | Renters with no one in their life who can cosign |
| Personal Cosigner | None (application fee only) | N/A | Renters with a relative or friend earning 4x to 5x the rent |
What Cosigners Need
We often see communities ask for a cosigner with a credit score above 680 and income over four times the monthly rent. The cosigner has to show they can cover their own housing and your rent too.
That high bar rules out a lot of relatives who'd be happy to help. When nobody they know qualifies, our clients often switch to a guarantor company.
Texas Property Code Section 92.103 says landlords have to return a standard deposit within 30 days after you move out. They don't have to send it until you give them a forwarding address in writing.
Send that address the day you move out.
How Texas communities handle it
Texas property managers rely on screening companies to pull your credit and rental history. Each management company reads those reports its own way when it decides whether to take a guarantor or ask for a double deposit.
Common ones are TransUnion SmartMove, RealPage LeasingDesk and AppFolio.
Experian RentBureau is a database of rent payments that property managers report, so your payment record at past apartments can follow you.
Why the Screening Company Matters
We talk to leasing offices every day, and a low score from one screening company doesn't mean everyone will turn you down. Renters who don't know this often lose $50 to $75 per denied application.
How a property reads risk decides whether a guarantor or a cosigner works better there. For more on that, see our page on renting with bad credit .
What Usually Gets You Denied
A denial usually comes from specific red flags more than from a low score by itself.
Leasing staff look hard at these:
- Recent Eviction Filings: A filing in the last 24 months is an automatic no at a lot of Class A communities.
- Money Owed to a Landlord: We see an unpaid balance to a past landlord behind a lot of denials.
- Debt Compared to Income: Some screening tools add up your monthly debt payments and compare them to your gross income.
- Utility Collections: Unpaid electric or water bills look like high risk to a property manager.
Small utility collections matter more than most renters expect. One unpaid $50 water bill can be the difference between a standard approval and a guarantor fee.
What to do next
Before you pay any nonrefundable fee, it pays to know whether the property’s screening rules fit you. We check that part for you.
Applying blind wastes fees, and some screening companies pull your credit as a hard inquiry. Reach out and we'll usually answer the same day, with Texas communities worth a look in 24 to 48 weekday hours. If you write on a weekend, we'll most likely reply Monday.
It's completely free to you. Communities pay the referral fee out of their marketing budgets.
We look at three things when we build your list:
- Income: We compare your gross pay with the income multiple each property asks for.
- Rental History: We look for buildings that may consider past broken leases or evictions.
- Move-In Timeline: We keep your move date in mind. The leasing office tells you what's actually open.
Send us your income, your credit situation, and your move date. We'll lay out what each of the three options would cost you and which communities list it in their criteria. Approval is still the property's call.
Related reading: bad credit · guarantor and cosigner help · what is a risk fee / conditional approval fee?