Frequently Asked Questions

Sapphire Guard is a limited co-signer service based in Cleveland, Ohio. We work with rental applicants who have credit challenges and help them qualify for housing by acting as a limited co-signer on their lease. Every applicant goes through our financial literacy program and monthly accountability process before we agree to back them.

Unlike a traditional limited co-signer who takes on full financial responsibility for the entire lease term, Sapphire Guard's coverage is specifically limited. We provide up to 3 months of unpaid rent coverage following a court-issued eviction judgment received by Sapphire Guard. This gives you meaningful financial protection without the complexity of a full lease guarantee arrangement.

Neither. Sapphire Guard acts as a limited co-signer — a company that agrees to limited financial responsibility if a covered tenant defaults. We are not an insurance provider and our coverage is not an insurance product. We recommend consulting your attorney about how our coverage agreement fits into your lease documentation.

We currently work with property managers in Ohio, and can work with properties outside Ohio on a case-by-case basis. Contact us to discuss your specific properties.

The tenant applies directly through our platform at sapphireguard.com. We screen the applicant, and if pre-approved, they complete our 6 step financial literacy course, sign our program agreement, submit a monthly budget sheet, and pay our program fee. Only after completing all steps do we provide written confirmation of our limited co-signer commitment to you.

You do not need to change your screening process. Simply register your company and properties on our platform so your tenants can select your property when applying. Once a tenant is approved and activated, we send you written confirmation of our limited coverage commitment. From there you handle the lease as you normally would.

No. We encourage you to continue your standard screening process. Sapphire Guard coverage is an additional layer of protection — not a replacement for your own due diligence. We conduct our own review of each applicant but you should still screen tenants according to your normal criteria and Fair Housing requirements.

Once a tenant completes our program and is activated, we send written confirmation directly to you. You can also log into your Sapphire Guard landlord dashboard at any time to see the status of any tenant associated with your properties.

You will need to add a limited co-signer addendum to your lease naming SapphireGuard, LLC as a limited co-signer with the coverage terms specified in our Landlord Coverage Agreement. We recommend having your attorney review our standard Landlord Coverage Agreement and advise on how to incorporate it into your lease documentation.

We provide coverage for unpaid base rent obligations up to 3 months of the monthly rent amount stated in the original lease, following a court-issued eviction judgment that has been formally received by Sapphire Guard.

Our coverage applies to unpaid base rent only. We do not cover property damage, utilities, legal fees, lease break penalties, or any amounts beyond the stated monthly base rent.

If a covered tenant defaults and you receive a court-issued eviction judgment, contact us through the contact form on our landlords page within 30 days of the judgment date. Provide a copy of the judgment and documentation of the unpaid rent amounts and dates. We will review and respond within 5 business days.

Coverage is active for one year from the tenant's approval effective date. If the tenant needs continued coverage after one year they must reapply through our program. We will notify you if a tenant's coverage is expiring.

Monthly budget submissions are a required part of our program. If a tenant fails to submit their budget we follow up with them directly. Continued non-compliance may result in program termination and we will notify you if a covered tenant's program status changes.

Yes. Our monthly budget tracking program is designed to identify financial stress before it becomes a missed payment. If we identify a tenant who is struggling financially we work with them proactively. We encourage landlords to notify us immediately if a rent payment is late — early intervention is the most effective tool we have.

Go to sapphireguard.com/landlords/signup and complete the registration form with your company name, contact information, corporate address, and your properties. Once submitted our team will review and approve your account within 1-2 business days.

There is no cost for property managers or landlords to register with Sapphire Guard. Our program fee is paid by the tenant applicant, not the landlord.

Yes. You can add properties at any time through your landlord dashboard after logging in.

If an applicant is not approved for our program we notify them directly. The decision about whether to proceed with that tenant is entirely yours — our denial does not obligate you to make any particular leasing decision.

Yes. Simply direct the tenant to apply at sapphireguard.com and have them select your property from the dropdown. Make sure your company is registered so your properties appear in the list.

Log into your landlord dashboard and add the property. It will appear in the applicant dropdown immediately. If you have not registered yet go to sapphireguard.com/landlords/signup.

Use the contact form on our landlords page. We aim to respond within 1 business day.