Swap your council home
Find out how to swap your council home or housing association home with another council tenant or housing association tenant through mutual exchange. You can swap locally or to another part of the country.
In most cases you must be a secure tenant to be eligible to swap your home.
You can also apply for a transfer but swapping your home can be a quicker option.
How to swap your home
- Both parties must have written permission from their landlord to swap homes.
- The tenants must have no breach of contract such as rent arrears.
- Search for other tenants who want to swap their home on House Exchange, Home Swapper and Council Exchange.
- When you find someone to swap with check each other's homes before agreeing to move.
- Both parties must then complete the Application for Mutual Exchange [doc] 155KB. Details of the information we collect, what we do with it and who we share it with can be found in our neighbourhood services privacy notice.
- A decision will be given in writing within 6 weeks (42 days) from the date both applications are received.
- When you exchange you will be asked to sign a 'Deed of Assignment' which is a legal document transferring the names of the tenancy from you to the new tenant. You may therefore wish to seek legal advice.
- If your application to swap is refused you will be given a reason why in writing.
You can find more helpful advice through Shelter.