Home Exchange

House Exchange is a free service. You can also look for an exchange by advertising on notice boards, in newsagents or in local newspapers.

We can consider applications from tenants who wish to mutually exchange their accommodation with:

• Another tenant of Saffron Housing
• A tenant of a local authority
• A tenant of another housing association

You can register for an exchange on www.saffron.houseexchange.org.uk or by using other website exchange sites.

Please contact us on 01508 532044 if you need help to register or if you don’t have access to the internet.

House Exchange allows you to;

• Search for a property to move to
• Search for people who are interested in your property
• Search for two or three way exchange possibilities

House Exchange is a free service. You can also look for an exchange by advertising on notice boards, in newsagents or in local newspapers.
We will not normally refuse an application for an exchange unless:

• Either tenant is under Notice of Seeking Possession, or legal proceedings have begun
• Either property is specifically designed to help a disabled person or has other special features and the new tenant does not need this assistance
• Either property is too large (usually this means you can move to a property with no more than one spare bedroom) or too small for either tenant
• The incoming tenant would conflict with our charitable objectives, e.g. income too high  

There are other reasons why an exchange of accommodation may not be possible and if you would like more advice about a specific swap please contact us.

You can only exchange your home after you have received our written permission. After obtaining our permission you will have to complete a ‘Deed of Assignment’ to legally exchange your tenancy. If you move without our permission, you will be breaching your tenancy agreement and we can take possession proceedings against you and/or the person who moves into your home.

When you have found a person to exchange with, you should complete the mutual exchange application form and return it to us. We will arrange for an inspector to visit your home to check that it is in a reasonable condition. Your tenancy details and rent account will be checked. Please note that you will only be allowed to exchange if your rent account is up to date.

You have to accept the property you are moving into in its current condition.

For example, we will not accept responsibility for any damage caused in the process of moving, or for removing any rubbish left by the outgoing tenant. You should also be careful to note any poor DIY work. It will be for you, not Saffron, to correct this work, and you will be treated as though you had done the work yourself.

We will carry out any essential repairs to your new home. But we will not carry out non-essential repairs needed because of damage by previous tenants or you, such as broken kitchen cupboard doors, and you will also have to replace items such as banisters or handrails missing from stairs at the time of the inspection.

In considering exchange applications, we are required to make a decision on whether to approve or refuse the exchange within 42 days of receiving all the application forms.

If you have found an exchange and received our permission, you must ensure that when you move:

• you must not remove any fixtures or fittings without ensuring that a suitable replacement is fitted
• you must not damage the property in any way
• your property is left clean and tidy with all rubbish removed from gardens or outbuildings

If we have to do any work as a result of this, you will be charged the costs involved.