Long-distance guarantor?

[Ericthelobster]

I know this will be a no-brainer of a question, but how best to deal with and vet a potential guarantor who lives a long way off (parent of applicant) and who I will not be able to meet?

Given that conventional wisdom has it that you apply the same vetting criteria to the guarantor as you do to the tenant, in terms of credit checks, ID validation etc - I would never let to a tenant without meeting them, checking photo ID etc - how do you go about doing that, and confirming they are who they say they are, without a face-to-face meeting?

I know this must happen all the time with student applicants away from home, but it's my first time... want to do it right, but don't want to appear too anal either!

[Ericthelobster]

I know this will be a no-brainer of a question...or not, judging by the lack of response!!

Anyway - as it happens this is a non-problem... when asked to post me an original bank statement for salary and ID verification purposes, "daddy" decided that was a non-starter and has elected to make a 300-mile round-trip drive with the sole purpose of showing it to me! I do feel a bit bad about it but then think well, it's his problem not mine, and don't see why I should compromise my procedures.

Still interested in an answer to the original question though, for next time!

[Paul_f]

You should never consider a guarantor against whom you might want to take action unless they are resident in England & Wales if you want it to be successful.

I wouldn't think that going after a resident of Scotland say, in a Scottish court, would be any good unless it was purely a debt you were after but correct me if I'm wrong. Would you be able to take action in an English or Welsh court against a Scottish resident who was possibly a guarantor for an AST for a let property in in England or Wales?