> > Not around here they don't. Every agency I went to between October last
> > year and confirming the new declan manor required a guarantor. Do the
> > insurers require a guarantor?
>
> I'm sure you could have got someone to help you out

>None of the usual suspects unfortunately. One place I really wanted to
>move into in November was perfect but I couldn't obtain a suitable
>guarantor in time so I missed out on that one. My new place is pretty
>OK though - it took a while but eventually I found someone able to
>assist.

I realize this may not apply to many people, but for people who have their
own company, the company can rent the place and the daihyou (which is the
person renting!) can be the guarantor. So you become your own guarantor, in
a sense. I know of at least one case where this worked for renting office
space, but I imagine this would work for a residence, if it were treated as
a shataku for the company. A down side is that you are expected to pay
consumption tax on the rent, but it may be possible to negotiate that out of
the contract.