Swapping your home
If you're interested in swapping houses with a fellow housing association customer, then mutual exchange could be right for you.
It could be that you're looking for a larger or smaller home, or perhaps you'd like to move somewhere new. You'll be able to exchange with customers living in anywhere in England.
Am I eligible?
- You’ll need to have a secure, assured, or fixed-term tenancy
- You can only swap with a customer whose landlord is a local authority, housing association, or other registered provider of social housing – and you’ll need written consent from us and them
- We’ll support you with an affordability assessment to ensure the new home is suitable for you
- You may need to provide details of your income and expenses
- It’s illegal to accept any offer of a payment to carry out an exchange
- Please do not make plans to move until you have permission from both landlords
- If you’re able to do all of the above, you should be eligible to make an application
What do I need to do?
- It is your responsibility to find a suitable exchange
- If you do go ahead, make sure you inspect your new home carefully before deciding to make the exchange
- We’ll provide a reference for you, and will ask for one from the customer’s landlord moving in
- We’ll complete an inspection of your home
- We’ll need to know if there are any outstanding repairs
- You’ll need to fix any damage or any changes you’ve made
- We’ll carry out electric and gas safety checks
- Please clean and clear your home - leaving it in the best condition possible!
- You’ll need to arrange the moving date with your exchange partner – you’ll need to swap keys, read the utility meters and agree what possessions will be left in the home
You'll need to get permission
You and the customer you are swapping with will both need permission. We don’t like to refuse mutual exchanges, but sometimes we must. Reasons may include:
- You do not have a clear rent account
- You are subject to a possession order or a suspended possession order
- You have been given notice of seeking possession
- The new home is not appropriate
- The home you would like to exchange into is adapted to be suitable for customers with disabilities that no member of your family will require
How to apply
To find someone looking to swap, and to register your home, you can visit houseexchange.org.uk. Either customer may decide to withdraw from the exchange at any time before the new tenancies have been signed.
We will let you know whether the exchange can go ahead within 42 days of receiving your form. So, if you’re eligible to swap your home, apply today.
