How to swap your home

Swap your home

Is your home overcrowded, or is it too big? Or maybe you’d like a change of scenery? Did you know you can swap homes with another Housing Association or Council tenant?

Customers of a Housing Association or Local Authority can swap homes – this is usually called a mutual exchange. It can be the fastest and easiest way to find the right home for you, especially if you’re not eligible for the Local Authority housing register.

Got a question? We might've answered it on our home swapping FAQs.

Why swap?

Swapping your home might be a good option if you’re:

  • Living in a home that’s too big or too small for you
  • Want to be closer to work, family and other support networks
  • Looking for a change of scenery or to live in a different location and you wouldn’t qualify to be rehoused
  • Low priority on your Local Authority housing register.

Who can swap?

Housing association customers or council tenants on an assured tenancy can swap homes. But this can only be done with permission from both landlords. If you’re eligible to swap homes, it’ll be mentioned in your tenancy agreement.

Customers on starter tenancies, social assured tenancies, market rent, intermediate or rent to buy tenancies aren’t eligible for mutual exchange.

If you don't know what type of tenancy you’re on please check your tenancy agreement. It'll say on the first page the agreement type you have with us.

If you’re still not sure, call our Contact Centre on 0161 393 7117 and they’ll be able to help you.

How do I swap?

We’ve put together a simple step-by-step process for you below. Follow it to help you find your perfect home!

There are many ways to find someone who wants to swap with you, but we recommend that you register with the website that we’re a member of: www.homeswapper.co.uk.

On Facebook there are groups for housing association and council tenants wanting to swap homes, so it’s a good idea to check these out too.

When you've found a possible swap, you'll need to contact them to see if they are interested and to arrange a suitable time to view each other’s homes. It’s important to make sure that it’s right for you and somewhere you’ll enjoy living.

It’s also good to check if the house is well maintained. Any repairs that need doing should be sorted before the other customer moves out. It’s really important to double-check this because any work that’s not finished will become your responsibility when you move in. So check, check and check again!

And you’ll also need to check that you can afford the new rent, council tax, electric, gas and water bills. Some areas are more expensive than others!

We’ve put together a handy checklist (PDF) of things to look at when you visit.

If you want to proceed with a swap you will first need to make the request through your Neighbourhood Coordinator. You can do this by calling us on 0161 393 7117.

Once an application is made there are lots of checks and assessments that need to happen. These include; rent debt checks, affordability assessments and a home visit to inspect your home and make a list of any repairs that are needing to be done before a swap can take place.

Your Neighbourhood Coordinator will make any arrangements and oversee all steps.

We have 42 days to make a decision if the swap can go ahead and your application will not be refused without good reason. Sometimes we might agree to the swap, but only if certain conditions are met before it takes place, this might be something like clearing any rent arrears. Our home swapping FAQ’s outline some of the legal reasons an exchange can be refused.

Once you have full approval, and a move in date has been agreed there will still be some final checks and paperwork to complete, your Neighbourhood Coordinator will arrange these.

On the day your new tenancy starts, your new home MUST have a gas and/or electric check. We will arrange for these checks at the property.

You will need to arrange the removal and exchange of keys. Please note; if you leave any personal belongings, fixtures or furniture behind, including garden items and contaminated bins, we’ll need to charge you for removal costs.

We understand that’s a lot of information to take in! So, if you’ve got any questions or something just doesn’t make sense, give us a call on 0161 393 7117.

Frequently asked questions

Could my swap be refused?

There are a number of legal reasons why we wouldn’t be able to agree to a swap:

  • You or the other customer have rent arrears – though the swap could go ahead if these are cleared
  • We’ve started eviction proceedings or the other customer is facing eviction
  • Your home is adapted for a person with special needs and nobody in the new customer's household has those needs
  • The home you want to move to is bigger than you need
  • The home you want to move to is too small and would be overcrowded

Can permission for the exchange be delayed?

Yes, there’s a few reasons why a swap might be delayed. Things like outstanding repairs or owing rent are issues that need to be sorted out before the swap can happen.

What if I have rent arrears?

Rent arrears have to be cleared before an exchange goes ahead.

What are my responsibilities for repairs?

One of our team will inspect your home. They’ll check the condition of it and any outstanding repairs. You’ll receive a copy of their report so you can see everything they’ve noticed during their visit. Repairs that are your responsibility must be completed before the new customer signs-up.

Any repairs that haven’t been completed will become the responsibility of the customer that’s moving in. They’ll sign a document called a disclaimer which will list the repairs that they’re now responsible for.

What if the home I want to move to is not in a good condition?

You should inspect the property before you agree to move and again before the tenancy sign-up appointment. We’d recommend doing a thorough check using our mutual exchange checklist.

If you’ve got any concerns about the home, don’t agree to move there. Any repairs which are the current tenant’s responsibility will pass to you if they’re not sorted before they move out.

What is an illegal mutual exchange?

Any exchange that is carried out without your landlord’s permission could mean that you lose your home. You should never accept offers of a payment or a bribe to carry out an exchange. This is illegal and could lead to you losing your home.

What happens if I have the Right to Buy?

This depends on your current Right to Buy status and the type of property you apply to move to. We’ll let you know about any changes to your Right to Buy status during the application process.

Can I swap homes if I live in a sheltered housing scheme?

Yes, assured tenants in sheltered schemes can swap homes. The customer moving in must be in the right age range for the scheme.

How do I know if I can swap homes?

If you’re on an assured tenancy then you can swap homes and it’ll also be mentioned in your tenancy agreement.

Tenancies that are ineligible for mutual exchange include:

  • starter tenancies
  • social assured tenancies
  • market rent
  • intermediate or rent to buy tenancies

Register with Homeswapper

www.homeswapper.co.uk

 

If you’ve got any questions or something just doesn’t make sense, give us a call on 0161 393 7117.