Steam Guard code when renting: where to get it and what to do if it doesn't arrive

October 24, 2026 · 6 min read

The Steam Guard code on a rented account: where it comes from, when to press "Get code", why the email doesn't arrive or the code is rejected, and how to avoid asking for a code every time.

The Steam Guard code is the first thing that trips up newcomers to account rental: you enter the login and password, and Steam asks for some code you don't have. Below is where that code comes from, where to get it on our site, and what to do if it doesn't arrive or Steam won't accept it.

What Steam Guard is and why it asks for a code

Steam Guard is a second layer of account protection on top of the password. When someone signs in from a device Steam doesn't recognise yet, the password is not enough: a one-time code is required. Your computer is always "new" to a rented account, so you will almost certainly be asked for a code on the first sign-in.

The code comes in one of two ways, depending on how the account is set up:

By email to the account's address. Steam sends the code to the email linked to the account as soon as you try to sign in.
From the Steam Mobile app (Steam Mobile Authenticator). The code is shown on the account owner's phone. It changes every 30 seconds and can be used only once.

As a renter you don't need to care which one it is: we fetch the code for you. What matters is which button to press.

Where to get the code on gamerent

Everything is on your rental page, next to the login and password.

The "Get code" button. If the account's email is ours, we pick the code up from it ourselves. The order is exactly this:

Enter the login and password in Steam.
See the window asking for a code.
Only now press "Get code" on the rental page. The email arrives within seconds, and the code appears on the page.
Enter it in Steam right away.

Steam creates the code email only in response to a sign-in attempt. If you press the button earlier, there is nothing to fetch yet, and the site will tell you there is no email.

Code through support. On some accounts the code comes not from email but from the owner's app. Then instead of the button your rental page has a chat: press "Send me the login code" or paste a screenshot of the screen with the code field (Print Screen, then Ctrl+V). The operator sends the code to the same chat, usually within a few minutes. This code doesn't live long, so stay at your computer after you write to the chat.

How to avoid being asked for a code every time

The main rule: tick "Remember me" in the Steam sign-in window before signing in. According to Steam Support, the client then asks for the password only periodically, and the computer becomes known to Steam Guard.

Also check in Steam → "Settings" → "Security" that "Don't save account credentials on this computer" is turned off. With that option on, Steam asks you to sign in every time.

This matters for more than convenience. We send the code once per rental: the next one only after a repeat payment. On top of that, without saved sign-in Steam won't let you into offline mode, and that is how rental play works. How to switch to offline correctly is in our Steam offline mode guide.

Steam may ask for a code again if your computer "changed" from its point of view: you cleared cookies or cache, reinstalled Steam, reinstalled Windows, or a cleaner program wiped data. Steam Support names these reasons directly. So while the rental lasts, put such clean-ups off.

The code doesn't arrive: what to check

You pressed the button before trying to sign in. The most common cause. Go back to Steam, press "Sign in" again, wait for the code prompt, and only then press "Get code".
Steam hasn't sent the email yet. Steam's email is sometimes delayed. Steam Support advises waiting up to 30 minutes and then signing in again to get a new code. Our site looks only for fresh emails, so try the button again in a minute or two.
You hit the limit. The button can be pressed at most 5 times per hour per rental. If you see a limit message, contact support.
"The mailbox is not responding". That means a problem with our mailbox. Contact support and we'll send the code manually.
There is no button on the page. For this account the code comes from support — write in the chat on your rental page.

The code is rejected: what to check

An old code. Steam Support stresses that only the most recent code sent or generated works; older ones won't. If you pressed "Sign in" several times, use the code from the latest attempt.
An app code that already expired. Mobile authenticator codes change every 30 seconds. If the operator sent a code and you entered it several minutes later, it may be out of date — ask for a new one in the same chat.
A typo. Copy the code from the rental page instead of retyping it. Check that no extra space got copied.
The wrong account. If you have several rentals, check that the login in Steam belongs to this particular rental.

If after several failed attempts Steam says there were too many sign-in failures, don't keep trying: wait and contact us. Steam doesn't publish an official length for this block, and more attempts can only extend it.

What not to do with Steam Guard

Don't turn off Steam Guard and don't link your phone. It breaks sign-in for other renters and counts as an attempt to take over the account: the rental ends without a refund. Steam Support also says that disabling Steam Guard closes trading and the Community Market on the account for 15 days.
Don't change the password or email. More on these rules in Is it safe to play on a rented Steam account.
Don't sign in from several devices. Every new device is a new code request, and you get one code per rental.

For the full picture of how rental works, see Steam account rental: how it works, is it safe, how much it costs and the How it works page.