Cosign has launched in San Jose, positioning its third-party lease guarantor service as an alternative for renters who cannot meet standard approval rules on income alone or provide a cosigner. The company said the move comes as rental competition in Silicon Valley reaches levels not seen in more than a decade. CoStar data cited in the release show average rent in San Jose has risen roughly 7% over the past year, with average asking rent around $3,432 a month, trailing only New York and San Francisco. Cosign said many applicants with steady income and long local work histories, including teachers, service workers and contractors, are being screened out because they face an income threshold of roughly $124,000 a year or need backup support on paper. Vasona Management said it adopted Cosign to approve more residents, reduce vacancy rate and preserve financial protections. Cosign said its underwriting process weighs payment behavior and recency rather than relying only on credit scores, and that it works with thousands of units in the San Jose MSA and more than 30,000 units across California. Nationwide, the company said it is active in more than 500,000 units across 3,000+ communities.