signer addendum is a document that can be added to a standard rental agreement to add the protection of a secondary party that will be responsible for the lease in addition to the tenant that is signing the primary rental agreement. This second party person is known as the cosigner for the lease.
Co-signers agree to be held legally responsible for a debt should the primary borrower fall behind on what they owe. A co-signed debt also appears on the co-signer's credit reports and may influence their credit scores as if the debt were their own.
The most common example is a parent co-signing for their child's first apartment since the child has no rental history. Other examples include co-signing an apartment for a significant other who doesn't live with you or for an unemployed family member.
Co-signer release requirements You have at least two years of credit history with a minimum credit score. You're of majority age in your state of residence. You've requested to enroll in automatic payments. You're a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or DACA student.
A release can be obtained after a certain number of on-time payments and a credit check of the original borrower to determine whether they are now creditworthy. Check with your lender to figure out the requirements for qualifying for a co-signer release.