Swap your council home (mutual exchange)
Swap your council home (mutual exchange)
If you are a council or housing association tenant, you may be able to swap your home with another tenant. This is also known as ‘mutual exchange’.
Swapping your home is the fastest way to move and you can exchange with a tenant anywhere in the UK.
Who can swap
All council tenants with a secure or assured tenancy and most housing association tenants have a right to exchange properties. You must:
- have lived in Camden for at least 12 months
- have leave to remain
- live in secure accommodation not temporary accommodation
- have permission from both landlords to apply for an exchange
You application to exchange can be refused if you:
- can afford to rent privately or buy a suitable home
- owe rent on a tenancy
- have a notice seeking possession of your property
- have broken tenancy conditions or have been guilty of criminal or antisocial behaviour
- are applying to swap to a property larger than your household’s needs
Number of bedrooms
You can only exchange your home for one with the same number of bedrooms or less. The only exception to this is if you are aged 65 or over.
To find out more, you contact the Mutual Exchange Team on [email protected].
How to find an exchange partner
You can improve your chances of finding an exchange partner by:
- promoting your home with plenty of photos on Home Swapper
- providing a full description of your home and surrounding area including local shops and transport links
- carrying out regular searches on HomeSwapper and responding quickly to messages of interest
- trying to find an exchange partner through word of mouth or through community websites
- being flexible about the area and types of property you want to move into
If you are moving out of Camden
You can find contact details for other local authorities by visiting the GOV.UK website.
Further advice about moving out of London can be found on the following sites:
- Home Swapper helps you to swap homes across the UK with another tenant or housing association tenant. Housing Association tenants may face a small fee to register
- Homefinder UK enables moves across the UK, please contact your landlord to see if they are a part of the scheme
- Seaside and Country Homes scheme is open to over 60 years old social housing tenants, who live in London and would like to consider moving to the coast or countryside
Things to consider before applying
There are several things to consider before applying for an exchange. These include:
- the new rent cost
- service charges, Council Tax and other costs
- your new tenancy conditions
If you are a Camden Council tenant and have a query about a mutual exchange, email [email protected]. If you’re a tenant of another council or housing association, contact your landlord.
How to apply
Fill in the application form when you have:
- found an exchange partner
- visited their home
Each tenant involved in the exchange must complete their own form. If your exchange partner has a different landlord, you need to complete forms for that landlord as well.
What happens next
We will send a letter to confirm we have received your application. This will include the name of the advisor working on your case.
We have 42 days (6 weeks) to consider your application and will write to you with our decision. If you have any queries during this time, contact your advisor.
If your exchange is agreed, make an appointment to sign your tenancies over to one another. Once this paperwork is signed, you can move into your new property on a date agreed between you, your swap partner, us and your swap partner's landlord.