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If you are moving into your first apartment, have not had much in your name before, or have poor credit, then offering to have someone co-sign on your lease is a good idea, if the landlord will accept it.
A co-signature states that if you, for whatever reason, fail to follow through with your end of the lease (i. e. missing payments, property damage) then the person who co-signed for you, also known as a guarantor, can be held responsible if you are unable to pay.
It is important to note that a co-signature will only be attractive to a landlord if the co-signer has well-established credit, and is located within the sate of California.
A guarantor can be anyone; family, friend, or co-worker, as long as they understand that they will be held accountable if you abandon your responsibilities.
All decisions regarding co-signatures are completely up to the discretion of the landlord.