Mutual exchanges
A mutual exchange is when accommodation is swapped permanently between two, three, four, or more tenants. A tenant cannot exchange into an empty property. Swapping your home in this way can significantly increase your chances of moving, particularly if you need a larger home.
You can exchange with people living anywhere in the country providing they have the type of tenancy described above and each mutual exchange partner has the permission of their landlord.
Who is eligible to apply?
- All local authority and housing association or trust tenants with secure tenancies.
- Most housing association or trust tenants with assured tenancies.
- Unfortunately, Mutual Exchanges with tenants in leased or private rented accommodation are not allowed.
How to apply
You must apply for, and obtain permission from both your existing landlord and your exhange partners' landlord (s) before going ahead with an exchange. It is very clear in your tenancy agreement that you must not exchange or assign your tenancy without our consent. We take this very seriously and proceed take legal action against you if you exchange your accommodation without permission.
We willgrant concent within 42 days and will only refuse your application if certain conditions are not met by you or your exhange partner (s). For example each tenant:
- Must have a clear rent account
- Should be moving to a property of the correct size for their current housing needs. Octavia will allow people to move into a property with one more bedroom than they need but not to move into a property where they have less space than they need.
- A tenant moving to a specially adapted property must have been assessed to ensure that they need that type of accommodation.
Things to consider before agreeing to exchange
A mutual exchange is carried out by a legal process called an assignment. It means that you agree to take on the tenancy rights and obligations of the person you exchange with. These may be different to the rights you currently enjoy and you need to make sure you understand what these differences may be. For example:
- A secure tenant of a non-charitable housing association exchanging with a secure tenant of a charitable association will lose their Right to Buy.
- A secure tenant taking on an assured tenancy will come under a different rent setting regime.
- Some tenants (assured tenants and secure tenants of non-charitable housing associations) will gain certain rights with regards security and the Right to Buy.
- Anyone exchanging with someone who has a furnished tenancy will take on the responsibility for the furniture and pay the appropriate charge as part of the rent. If you already have a furnished tenancy and you assign, you will not be able to take the furniture with you.
Will it affect my application to transfer?
No. Pursuing an exchange does not affect your application for a transfer. We will continue to consider your transfer application dependent on your priority on the transfer list. Searching for an exchange can only increase your chances of obtaining a move. If you are a low priority for transfer you can still move if you can find an exchange because the move is not based on your transfer priority.
How do I find an exchange partner?
National swaps: To make swapping easier for you, we are part of the homeswapper scheme. It is free to register and you have the option to swap with social housing residents all over the UK.
Local swaps: Register free of charge with locata and follow the mutual exchange links.
What happens after I find an exhange partner?
- Complete an application form. Both you and your exchange partner need to do this
- Return your completed form to the lettings team at Emily House.
- We will conduct a report to see if you are eligible and when it is completed we will contact your exchange partner’s landlord giving them your details and asking for similar information about their tenant.
- When we have all the information about both exchange partners we will contact you to let you know if we consent to the exchange. We will do this within 42 days of receiving your exchange application.
We can agree to the exchange, subject to conditions being met (for example rent arrears being cleared) or we can refuse permission. If we refuse permission we will explain why the exchange has been refused.
If we agree to the exchange then your neighbourhood officer will contact you to make arrangements for you and your exchange partner to complete the necessary legal documents and to agree details such as the date of the exchange and arrangements for moving home.
