Mutual Exchange
Mutual Exchange is where two or more tenants swap homes with each other. This is a good way to find a new home when there is a lot of people on the housing register.
Council tenants can exchange homes with:
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another North Ayrshire Council tenant
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any tenant of a UK housing association
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any tenant of another UK council
enants of 'social landlords', that is councils and housing associations, have a right to exchange homes as long as they get the approval of their landlords.
The council promotes and encourages mutual exchanges and minimises refusals.
How do I find someone to exchange with?
What do I need to do before agreeing to exchange?
Moving to Another Part of the Country?
Right to Buy
Approval to Exchange
How do I find someone to exchange with?
Mutual Exchange Registers at our area offices. To join you need to fill in a mutual exchange application form. Alternatively, you can phone us and we can check the register on your behalf. Exchanges can also be found by word of mouth, from notices in shop windows or by advertising on the internet.
New Mutual Exchange Website Coming Soon
We have a new mutual exchange website which will be free for all tenants of NAHR landlords coming soon. This will replace the current system of notice boards and manual registers and will provide a convenient way for tenants to find other tenants to swap with. We will promote the new website when it launches in Spring 2011.
What do I need to do before agreeing to exchange?
You need to be sure that you are happy to exchange. It is very important that you arrange to view any property before you make a decision to move. When you exchange, you must accept the property you are moving to in the condition in which it is left. You take responsibility for alterations or improvements made by your exchange partner. If the previous tenant has left damage which we, by law, have to fix, we will recharge the cost of the work to that tenant.
It is illegal to pay anyone to persuade them to exchange tenancies with you. If this happens all the people involved could be made to leave their homes.
Moving to Another Part of the Country
If you want to move to another part of the country you can apply to go on the HomeSwapper scheme.
HomeSwapper is a matching service for council and housing association tenants who want to exchange homes either within their area or somewhere else in the UK. You can get free internet access at all local libraries. We can help you find out who to contact.
Right to Buy
If you exchange with another North Ayrshire Council tenant you will usually keep the right to buy if you have one. Some of the terms may change, in particular the amount of time you have been a tenant and the amount of discount you will get. If you exchange with a tenant of a housing association in Scotland, you may not be able to buy your new home.
Approval to Exchange
Each of the exchanging tenants must get written approval from their own landlord before going ahead with the exchange. If you exchange without asking for permission you can be forced to move back.
If you apply for premission and then don't hear from us within one month you can go ahead with the exchange as if we had agreed.
Approval will not be given if:
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one or other of the properties is larger than necessary for the incoming family or is not big enough and would create overcrowding
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either tenant is in breach of their tenancy agreement such as being behind with rent payments
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one of the homes has been adapted for a disabled person and the new tenant does not need these special facilities
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either landlord has applied for a court order to make their tenant leave their home.
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