Mutual Exchange

We will support and encourage residents who want to exchange their home with another resident. A mutual exchange is one of the quickest and easiest ways to move home. If you are an assured tenant you can exchange your home with any of the following residents:

an assured tenant who lives in one of our properties
an assured tenant of another housing association
a secure tenant of a local authority

What do I have to do if I would like to exchange my home?

If you would like to exchange your home, please ask your Neighbourhood Housing Officer or our Customer Service Adviser for an Mutual exchange application form. Your details will be made available to other residents in our reception area and on our website. This list also contains the details of other residents looking to exchange their homes.

If you would like to exchange your home with a resident of another landlord or local council you can register with Homeswapper.
Homeswapper is a national exchange register, it puts tenants in touch with others looking to exchange and is easy to use.

What checks should I make before I agree to swap?

Make sure that you check out the type of tenancy you will be given – the main difference are:

the rent and any other costs (such as service charges)
the Right to Buy

If repairs are needed, check if they will be carried out.

Make sure you can afford the moving expenses. If you are claiming benefits, you may qualify for a loan from the Social Fund. You will need to contact your local Jobcentre Plus office, Jobcentre or social security office.
If you have any questions, please contact your Neighbourhood Housing Officer.

What happens when I have found someone to exchange with?

When you have found someone you would like to exchange homes with, you and the party you wish to exchange with will need to fill in an Mutual Exchange application form. You must not exchange your home without first getting our permission in writing.

Once we have received your completed application form, we will process your application within 42 working days and write to you to confirm our decision.

You may not be allowed to exchange your home if:

you or the person you want to swap with have been served with a possession order or a suspended possession order
a notice seeking possession has been served on you or the person you want to swap with or possession proceedings have begun
the property you want to move into is much larger or too small for your needs or your property is much larger or too small for the person you want to swap with needs
the property you want to move into is provided for a particular reason, for example, it has been adapted for a person with disabilities or is a sheltered home
you or the person you want to swap with has a Possession Order, Injunction Order or Anti-Social Behaviour Order against them or court action to obtain such an order is pending
a demotion order is pending against either you or the person you want to swap with

Once you have received written permission, the Neighbourhood Housing Officer will arrange a meeting with both you and the person you want to swap with to:

sign the assignment agreement
explain how to go about arranging the move
give the person you are swapping with an information pack