Swap your home

If you’re thinking about moving home, swapping your property with another housing association or council tenant could make finding your new home even easier.

Using a system called Mutual Exchange you can apply to swap your home with another tenant if your current property doesn’t meet your needs.

You may want to consider swapping if you need to:

  • downsize or move to a smaller home
  • move to a larger home
  • move to a different area for work or family reasons
  • live closer to facilities you need.

You can swap your home with a tenant who rents from the same landlord, or with a tenant from another housing association or local council nationally.

Applying for a home swap

A swap and move means swapping tenancy agreements as well as properties. This means your rights as a tenant might change.

There are also certain conditions that tenants who want to swap their homes need to meet. We carry out a full check on tenants who want to swap their homes, including:

  • checking your current rent account
  • checking your eligibility for the property you’re interested in
  • checking the condition of your current home.

Visit House Exchange to find out more about the process.

This page will give you more information about the whole home switch process.

Once we approve your application, you’ll need to create an advert for your home. This allows other tenants to see your home and gives you the chance to see the properties available for a home swap.

It’s important that you do not move home until we have given you written permission to swap your home.

Frequently asked questions

Am I eligible for a mutual exchange?

You must have been a tenant for at least 12 months and you should not be in breach of your tenancy agreement. This can include anything from rent arrears and anti-social behaviour, to damage to your property.

To confirm whether you qualify for a mutual exchange, please contact us.

Why has my advert not been authorised?

Before you can advertise your property we need to check your advert. We will help all we can but only customers who meet the eligibility criteria will have their advert authorised.

You might not qualify if:

  • you have a starter tenancy
  • you have an active Notice Seeking Possession or other court order against you
  • you’re in rent arrears. We can consent to the exchange on the condition that any rent you owe is cleared before the exchange takes place.
  • you have breached your tenancy, ie damaged your property, have been involved in anti-social behaviour or made unofficial alterations to your home.
I have not had any bids on my advert.

You might be able to include additional information or add further photographs of your home to increase interest in your advert. To discuss how your advert could be improved, please contact us.

As well as tenants being able to bid on your property, you can also find a match by searching and bidding on other mutual exchange adverts.

I’m concerned about viewings on my home.

If you’re concerned about safety during viewings, we’ll try to help. We might be able to accompany you on viewings, but for more details please contact us.

I’ve agreed to exchange with another customer but the exchange has been rejected by the landlord.

Once you’ve agreed a home swap with another tenant, both landlords must approve the exchange before it goes ahead. Both landlords will assess the swap and if it has been refused, you’ll receive written confirmation with the reason.

Will swapping my home affect my type of tenancy?

Yes, depending on who you swap your home with, your type of tenancy, the rent you pay and service charges due may be affected.

Different tenancies offer different tenancy conditions, so swapping your home might mean: 

  • The rent you currently pay may be more or less than the rent of the person you are swapping with. You should check both rent and tenancy conditions before deciding to swap homes. It is your responsibility to make sure that you can afford the rent in the new property.
  • The type of tenancy you are granted may be different to the type of tenancy you currently hold if you are to swapping with someone else. This means you may be subject to different tenancy terms and lengths. Please take advice on the new tenancy terms thoroughly before agreeing to move.
  • If you move to another landlord your rights may change. You should seek legal advice prior to completing a mutual exchange to ensure that you fully understand your rights. 

Will it affect the right to succession?

The right to succession is personal to the individual tenant and this right transfers with the tenant when they move in a mutual exchange. No new succession rights are created as a result of a mutual exchange and if the incoming tenant has previously succeeded to a tenancy no further successions would be permitted under the tenancy.

I need more information.

For more information about swapping your home, please contact us.