Due to the current housing demand, it’s hard to get rehoused if you are already a social tenant. You can minimise your waiting time and use mutual exchange – swapping with others for the house you love on HomeSwapper!
A mutual exchange is when two or more council tenants or housing association tenants have a legal right to exchange their tenancies under section 92 of the Housing Act 1985. You should hold a tenancy for at least 12 months with St Leger Homes before applying. For St Leger Homes tenants, this service is free. If you are a Housing Association tenant, you can see if your landlord is part of the scheme.
You can search online for a mutual exchange on the HomeSwapper website.
You can also create a mutual exchange advert for your property by registering with HomeSwapper. If you are not registered, you will need to register. If you are a Doncaster Council tenant, this is free. If you are a Housing Association tenant, you can see if your landlord is part of the scheme.
Remember to include your contact details in your advert otherwise any potential exchange tenants will not be able to contact you.
- Another St Leger Homes tenant
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A tenant of a housing association
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A tenant of another council
Yes. You can apply to exchange with any council or housing association tenant in England, Wales and Scotland.
In order for you to participate in the new National HomeSwap scheme you will need to visit your account page to update to your details and select the areas and property type you are interested in.
- You must move into your exchange partner’s property if you have committed to the move
- You cannot exchange into an empty property
- You cannot exchange into an unsuitable property, e.g. too small or too large, or unsuitable for your medical needs
- You must not exchange your property without your landlord’s permission
Once you have decided who you would like to exchange with, you need to apply to exchange. You can do this online directly through the HomeSwapper website. Our team will then complete all the relevant checks.
If you are unable to do this, or you can’t access the website, you can call us for an application form on 01302 862862 or request one by emailing mutualexchange@stlegerhomes.co.uk
You must always view the property before agreeing to swap. You will be responsible for maintaining any improvements or alterations that have been made by the current tenant.
Once we have received application forms from all tenants in an exchange, we will call you to run through the process. In order to exchange, all parties will have to gain approval from their landlords.
Before you move, your landlord will need to inspect your home and we will carry out gas and electric safety checks. Your move may be delayed if your home or garden are not in good condition, you have rent arrears, or you have breached your tenancy agreement in any way.
Your landlord has the right to refuse the swap, but they will contact you to tell you why this is.
We will not unreasonably refuse an application for a mutual exchange. However, we may refuse an application if:
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There is a court order against you on any grounds, including rent arrears
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There is a current notice seeking possession in force
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Your proposed new property is too big for your needs
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Your proposed new property is too small for your needs resulting in overcrowding
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The property is specifically designed or adapted for the elderly and/or disabled and you do not qualify for such housing
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The proposed property does not meet your assessed medical housing needs
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You may not be eligible for this property under the current housing policy. For example, if the property you wish to move to is age designated and you do not meet this age.
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Your current tenancy is demoted or you are on a license agreement.
Think about it as selling your own home. Make sure you stand out in the crowd and consider the following:
- Take pictures of all rooms and the outside of your house
- Be flexible about your area choices and type of accommodation
- Be active - the more you look and chat with each other, the more likely you will see something that ticks all your boxes
- See who responds to you - if a person hasn't been online in a month's time, the likelihood of you swapping is much less compared to a person who regularly logs in
HomeSwapper has lots of help guides and videos to help with navigating around their website and maximising your chances of finding a swap. For more, please press here.
They also have their own customer support team dedicated to help you with any queries you may have.
Doncaster HomeChoice also has a designated team dealing with mutual exchanges. They can be contacted on 01302 862862.
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