Mutual exchanges - Kingston council tenants
Quick Guide
- Clear any rent arrears and have all outstanding repairs done.
- Find a suitable exchange partner - look online or in your area for others to exchange with, try:
- Homeswapper - a free online service
- House Exchange - a free online service
- Apply for our permission to exchange your home. You and your exchange partner must make an application via Swaptracker. Swapertracker can be accessed via your Homeswapper account. (if you are a housing association tenant, contact them to find out how to apply).
- We will exchange references with your new landlord.
- Providing you are eligible to exchange your home and references are satisfactory, we will book an appointment to inspect your home within 5 days.
- We will let you know within 42 days from the date we receive your application if your application has been approved.
- If we approve the exchange, we’ll arrange an appointment for you and your exchange partner to come to the Council offices to complete a ‘Notice of Assignment’.
- You will then be able to organise your move.
- We will visit you 6 weeks after you move in to find out if everything is okay.
Who can exchange, and what can be exchanged
Swapping homes (tenancies) is the quickest way to move home if you’re a council or housing association tenant. You can swap homes with other social housing tenants in the borough or anywhere across the country.
To exchange, you must be a secure council tenant or an assured or secure housing association tenant.
If you live in Housing for Older People accommodation, you can only swap tenancies with other residents in Housing for Older people accommodation. But there are no restrictions for other tenants.
You can swap to a different type of property, for example, from a flat to a house and you can choose a property with an extra bedroom.
Properties with adaptations will need to meet the needs of the incoming resident.
Who can’t exchange
You can’t apply to us for permission to exchange unless:
- any rent you owe us is repaid
- any outstanding repairs to the property are done (including those that are your responsibility)
- the condition of your property is not satisfactory
Apply for mutual exchange
Once you find a suitable exchange partner, you will need to apply for our permission for the exchange. Both you and your exchange partner will need to make an application via Swaptracker. Swaptracker is accessible through your Homeswapper account.
If you are unable to complete an online application, the council will accept paper applications. Your exchange partner will also need to apply for permission from their landlord.
What happens after you apply
- We will acknowledge your application within five days of receiving it.
- We will get a reference from your housing officer and send it to your new landlord.
- We will ask the new landlord for a reference for your exchange partner.
- Within five days of us agreeing the references, we’ll book an appointment with you to come and inspect your property.
- At the inspection, we may ask you to replace or have items repaired, in order for permission to be given.
- An additional inspection by a surveyor may be required if unauthorised works have been completed without the Council's permission.
- We will let you know if we approve the exchange within 42 days from the date we receive your application.
- If we do approve the exchange, we’ll arrange an appointment for you and your exchange partner to come to the council offices to complete a ‘Notice of Assignment’.
- Once the tenancy has been transferred, you can then organise to exchange homes.
- We will visit you six weeks after you have moved into your new property to check if everything is all right
It is illegal to exchange properties unless you have written approval and have signed a Notice of Assignment.
When permission can be refused
If we don’t approve the exchange, we’ll tell you why in writing. We can only refuse to allow the property exchange if any one of the following applies:
- The tenancy is subject to a court order.
- The tenancy is subject to a current notice of seeking possession.
- Legal action has been taken against the tenant because of anti-social behaviour or the matter is waiting to be heard before the Courts.
- You want to swap with someone in a specialist housing association or trust but you don’t fit their criteria, for example, you don’t have mental health needs.
- One of your family is refusing to become a member of the housing association which manages the property you’re planning to move to.
- Your property is larger than your exchange partner needs.
- Your property is adapted for disabled people but your exchange partner’s family doesn’t need these adaptations.
- The property the tenant wishes to move to is too small for their needs.
- The property was let because of employment and forms part of, or is in the grounds of a non-housing building.
- The property is Housing for Older People accommodation, and the exchange would result in no one with the relevant needs being in occupation.