What is a ‘mutual exchange’?
A ‘mutual exchange’ is a quick way for two or more households to swap homes and move to the areas of their choice.
You can do this with another City of Lincoln Council tenant, or a tenant who rents their home from a different council or housing association.
You may be eligible for a mutual exchange if:
- You have our permission
- Your home is not a shared property
- Both you and the tenant you want to exchange homes with are renting your homes from a council or housing association
- Both of you have a secure or assured tenancy
Introductory or starter tenants do not have the right to exchange.
When you mutually exchange your home, you are formally agreeing to hand over your tenancy to the other person in the exchange, and they do the same to you. You then take responsibility for each other’s tenancies on the terms you had before.
Why do a mutual exchange?
A mutual exchange can be a quick way to move and can be easy to arrange. It is useful if you:
- Need a smaller or larger home
- Want to move to a new area
- Want to find a more suitable home
- Want to avoid a long wait for a transfer
How do I find someone to swap with?
It is your responsibility to find someone to swap with you. You could do this by using:
- Homeswapper
- Other national schemes
- Local adverts and social media
Homeswapper - www.homeswapper.co.uk
is a free service that helps you find an exchange anywhere in the country. It can help you search for suitable matches and suggest potential swaps. You can increase your chances of finding a match by being flexible where you want to live and the type of home you want.
Homeswapper also has a free app that lets you:
- View and manage property matches
- View local area information
- Use an interactive mapping tool to see property locations, transport links and amenities
- Message other swappers and landlords
- Upload photos directly from your smartphone
- Sign-up for email alerts
- View rent costs
- Manage your account
If you are looking to move to a specific location, the landlord in that area may not be signed-up to Homeswapper. You can contact the council or housing association in that area directly, and they will advise you which scheme they use for their tenants or if they have their own mutual exchange register.
If you are looking for a home in a small village, there could be restrictions that only allow people with a local connection to live there.
Exchanges can also be found through other schemes like
House Exchange - www.houseexchange.org.uk
Exchange Locata - www.exchangelocata.org.uk
You will be charged for using these schemes.
Other non-specialist websites like Gumtree may advertise exchanges. You may also want to place adverts in shop windows, local press or on social media.
Do I need permission for a mutual exchange?
Yes. The landlord of each tenant involved in the exchange must agree to it in writing.
You cannot exchange your home without our permission. If you do, you may have to move back, and we could take legal action to end your tenancy.