Council tenants - exchanging your home

What is a mutual exchange?

• A mutual exchange is where you can swap your property and your tenancy with another council tenant or tenant of a housing association.
• You must be a secure tenant.
• If you are an introductory tenant, you do not have the right to exchange. Although in special circumstances you may be allowed to swap your home.
• Mutual exchanges are often a quicker method of moving home than a transfer.
• When you carry out a mutual exchange you will exchange or assign your tenancy rights with those of the tenant you exchange with.
• In order to exchange you will be asked to complete a Deed of Assignment and you may therefore want to seek legal advice.

Finding someone to exchange with

• If you wish to exchange your property you need to use HomeSwapper (external website), a national exchange advertising site.
• Using HomeSwapper you can search for a mutual exchange within and outside of Bristol.
• You can exchange with any Bristol City Council tenant, housing association tenant or a tenant of another local authority.

To access HomeSwapper you need to sign up to use the service. As well as advertising your property, the site will search for all possible matches everyday and send you alerts by text and email when a match is found.

What do I do when I have found someone to exchange with?

• When you have found someone to exchange with you need to complete a mutual exchange application form (pdf, 64 KB).
• The person you are exchanging with must also request permission from their landlord.
• You cannot exchange until both parties have received formal permission from their landlords.
• On completing the mutual exchange application form take it to any Customer Services Point or send it to the Estate Management Service.

Completion of the exchange process

• We will inform you within 42 days from the date both applications were received, as to whether you can exchange properties.
• If you are told you cannot exchange your property you will be given a reason why. 
• Arrangements to exchange your home must not be made until you have obtained written approval from us.

Reasons why we may refuse an exchange

• The property you or your exchange partner are moving to is either too large or too small.
• You have been served with a Notice Seeking Possession or a Possession Order has been made against you.
• Your home is one which is occupied as part of your job.
• The property you wish to exchange with has been specially adapted for people with disabilities and you do not have a need for such adaptations.
• The property you wish to exchange with is in a sheltered scheme, unless you qualify for sheltered accommodation.
• You have outstanding rent arrears, unless paid off in full, by the time of the mutual exchange.
• It has been found that money is being offered or has been offered or exchanged in relation to the mutual exchange.
• You are an introductory tenant.

Repairs inspection

• Your property will be inspected as part of the exchange process.
• This inspection will assess whether there are any alterations or conditions that must be put right before the exchange is allowed to go ahead. If the property is in a neglected or damaged condition, we may take action against you. This is because you will have breached your tenancy conditions. The exchange will not be allowed to proceed until any outstanding issues are resolved. If there are minor issues such as poor decorations, this may be acceptable to the incoming tenant. The surveyor will look at the following:
  • the condition of your property and any alterations undertaken including the condition of decorations,
  • the condition of your garden,
  • have any fences been removed,
  • any unauthorised external structures and their condition.
• An electric and gas test will be done on the day of exchange and you must allow access for this. This is for your own health and safety and that of your household. You will be asked to sign an undertaking to allow access for these tests to be completed.

Condition of the property

• When you exchange, you must satisfy yourself that you are happy with the condition of the home you are moving into, before you move.
• You will take on responsibility for any alterations and damage done to the property by the outgoing tenant. The council will not maintain or put right any works as a result of DIY improvements. This responsibility will be yours once you move in. For example:
  • a non standard kitchen fitted by the previous tenant will be yours to maintain,
  • we will not rewire to any light fittings that belong to the tenants,
  • laminate floor coverings have to be lifted to allow essential maintenance work. This will become your responsibility.
• It is important that you check the property before you move, as damage by the other tenant cannot be put right after you move in. It will become your responsibility.
• Any agreement with the other tenant about what is left or taken is an agreement between you and the other tenant. You may want to get legal advice before you move if you have any concerns about this.

Costs

When you have received written permission from the Estate Management Service to carry out your mutual exchange, a date will be set for you to sign any paperwork. You must meet any costs incurred in moving. It is illegal to offer or accept any money to carry out a mutual exchange.

Further information

For further information please see our thinking of moving factsheet (pdf, 320 KB).