Cosign Launches in San Jose as Silicon Valley Rental Competition Hits a Decade High

The Platform Offers a Cosigner Alternative Amid Tightening Vacancy

SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cosign, a cosigner and third-party lease guarantor platform designed to expand renter access while protecting property owners, has launched in San Jose, the heart of Silicon Valley, where rental competition has reached levels not seen in more than a decade.

According to CoStar data, average rent in San Jose is up roughly 7% in the last year, meaning income requirements are rising far faster than most renters' paychecks. Average asking rent currently sits around $3,432 a month, behind only New York and San Francisco. Renters with steady income and years of local employment, teachers, service workers and contractors among them, are getting stuck at the apartment approval stage simply because they don't have a cosigner to fall back on. The issue isn't a lack of qualified renters. It's approval standards that require applicants to clear roughly a $124,000 annual income threshold or provide a cosigner.

At Vasona Management, that squeeze has become a daily leasing challenge. Management adopted Cosign as a cosigner alternative to solve exactly that problem. As a San Jose apartment guarantor, Cosign steps in when renters fall just short of standard qualification criteria and have no cosigner to rely on, allowing Vasona's properties to approve more residents, reduce vacancy rate and maintain financial protections.

"At Vasona Management, providing a seamless leasing experience while maintaining strong qualification standards is a top priority," said Samantha Woehl, director of training and management at Vasona Management. "Cosign, as a third-party guarantor, has given us greater flexibility when working with applicants who fall just short of our traditional screening criteria and don't have a cosigner. It allows us to confidently approve more qualified residents while keeping the leasing process efficient for both our team and our communities."

Founded by real estate owners and operators, Cosign's dynamic risk model evaluates payment behavior and recency rather than relying on a credit score alone, an approach that gives the San Jose MSA's non-tech workforce, the people who keep the region running but don't carry tech salaries, a real path to apartment approval.

"This market shows what happens when a decade of undersupply finally catches up with a market," said Zach Schofel, co-founder and CEO of Cosign. "Cosign works with thousands of units in the MSA and over 30,000 units across the state, and we're excited to expand our presence in the area. Reception from local managers and residents has been amazing. The renters getting left behind aren't the ones who can't afford it. They're the ones without a backup plan on paper. Cosign gives owners in Silicon Valley a way to say yes to them anyway."

For more information, visit www.rentwithcosign.com and follow on social media @rentwithcosign.

About Cosign
Cosign is a real estate technology company and lease guarantor service that bridges the gap between qualified renters and landlords. Founded by real estate professionals, Cosign's mission is to expand housing access through data-driven underwriting that considers payment behavior, not just credit scores. Active in more than 500,000 units across 3,000+ communities nationwide, Cosign is helping modern operators approve more qualified renters in both tight and oversupplied markets. For more information, visit www.rentwithcosign.com

SOURCE Cosign