Mutual exchanges - Kingston council tenants

Quick Guide

  1. Clear any rent arrears and have all outstanding repairs done.
  2. Find a suitable exchange partner - look online or in your area for others to exchange with, try:
  3. Apply for our permission for the exchange. You and your exchange partner must each fill in our mutual exchange application form. (If you are a housing association tenant, contact them to find out how to apply for permission).
  4. We’ll exchange tenant references with your new landlord.
  5. If all references are satisfactory we’ll book an appointment with you to inspect your property and talk through you application.
  6. Once the inspection is done, we’ll let you know if we approve the exchange. We’ll tell you within 42 days from the date we received your application.
  7. 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’.
  8. You can then organise the move.  
  9. We will visit you one month after you have moved to find out if everything is all right.

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’re in sheltered housing, you can only swap tenancies with other sheltered tenants. 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 or adapted for a disabled person.

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 complete our application form for mutual exchange. Your exchange partner will also need to apply for permission from their landlord.

What happens after you apply

  1. We will acknowledge your application within five days of receiving it
  2. We will get a reference from your housing officer and send it to your new landlord
  3. We will ask the new landlord for a reference for your exchange partner
  4. Within five days of us agreeing the references, we’ll book an appointment with you to come and inspect your property
  5. At the inspection, we may ask you to replace or have items repaired, in order for permission to be given
  6. We will let you know if we approve the exchange within 42 days from the date we receive your application
  7. 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’
  8. Once the tenancy has been transferred, you can then organise to exchange homes
  9. We will visit you one month 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:

  • we’ve started to evict you
  • 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

Last Modified: 31/05/2024 15:39:46