Mutual Exchange

Mutual exchange means you can swap your home with another resident living in a housing association or council-owned property. 

Before deciding on a mutual exchange, there are some things to think about:

  • Your rent account must be up to date and with no outstanding debts owed to your landlord
  • Your home must be well maintained to a good standard
  • You can afford the moving costs

What is Homeswapper?

Homeswapper is a free national mutual exchange service that links together residents who are looking to swap their home. Register here:  homeswapper.co.uk 

What are the next steps?

  • Contact the resident directly to arrange a viewing of each other’s property
  • Look carefully at the property and think about whether you'd be happy living there
  • If you choose to move, it'll be your responsibility to carry out any cleaning or decorating
  • Following the property inspection we’ll make you aware of any repairs and responsibilities
  • Check the type of tenancy you'll be taking on
  • Make sure you can afford the rent at the new property and any related moving costs.

Do I need to get Golding Homes’ permission to exchange my home?

Yes. Golding Homes uses Homeswapper, the national online search service, for mutual exchanges. You can register with this service at www.homeswapper.co.uk. Registration is free for Golding Homes customers subject to approval.

Once you’ve registered and have been approved by Golding, you’re ready to find a swap partner who must also be registered with Homeswapper. You can then complete an application form which is available when you log into your account. HomeSwapper | Log in

Before filling in your application, it’s important to read the Tenant’s guide to SwapTracker which takes you through all the steps and information you need to complete the form.

All customers who wish to exchange must complete the application form, even if they’re not a Golding customer. If you’ve got a joint tenancy, please make sure that both of you sign the form.

What happens once you receive my application?

As soon as we've received all relevant applications, we'll confirm this in writing to you. Once your application has been assessed we'll arrange for a Maintenance Surveyor to view your property. During this visit, we'll let you know if there are any issues you might be responsible for or repairs you'll need to do before the exchange can proceed. 

If your exchange partner is not a Golding Homes customer, we'll contact their landlord for a reference and send them a reference about your tenancy.

We'll confirm our decision as quickly as we can, but this may take up to 42 days from receiving your application.  

What reasons are there for refusing a mutual exchange?

  • If legal action has started, for example, if a Court Order has been issued or a Notice Seeking Possession has been served
  • If the property is unsuitable for the household wanting to move in
  • If the property has been adapted for the current resident who has disabilities
  • If the property is within our sheltered accommodation and the exchange partner does not meet the housing for older people criteria
  • If the tenancy type prohibits a mutual exchange
  • If the property has been built under Section 106 scheme, where it can only be let to people with a local connection to the area

If we receive an application where there is an outstanding debt to us, from a former or current tenancy, we'll contact you to clear the debt. Once all outstanding costs have been cleared, we'll go aheadwith the application. If you can't clear the debt it may mean cancelling the mutual exchange process, and all involved parties will have to reapply.

We'll write to you with our decision. There's no appeal process if your application is refused.

Once I have the approval to exchange my property, what happens next?

You'll be asked to sign a consent form confirming you wish to proceed. We'll require electricity and gas certificates and an Energy Performance certificate. We'll then contact all parties to arrange an appointment to sign the necessary paperwork.

If you withdraw from the mutual exchange after the above checks are carried out, you'll be charged for these.