If you live in social housing and you’re thinking about moving, you might want to consider a mutual exchange, which allows you to swap homes with another resident.

A mutual exchange is also known as a home swap, where you can swap homes with other social housing residents and assign your tenancy to one another. You can swap homes with any other council or housing association resident that lives anywhere in the UK.

Before you commit to an exchange, it’s important to understand how moving could affect you. We want to make sure you have all the information you need to make the right decision for you and your household.

Your tenancy type

If you currently have an assured shorthold tenancy with Local Space and your exchange is approved and you move, your tenancy rights and protections may change depending on:

• The type of tenancy held by the person you’re exchanging with.
• The landlord who owns the property you’re moving to.

You should be aware that:

• If you exchange with someone who has a different type of tenancy (for example, an assured or secure tenancy), your rights may not be the same after the move.
• If you move to a home where you’re offered another assured shorthold tenancy, your new tenancy will start from scratch under the new landlord’s terms.
• If you move to another social landlord, you will be asked to sign a new tenancy agreement as your current tenancy will not transfer.

Rent

Your rent may change when you move. Rent levels are set by each landlord and vary depending on:

• Property size.
• Location.
• Tenancy type.
• Local rent-setting policies.

Some landlords review rents annually, which may affect future costs. Before agreeing to the exchange, make sure you check what the new weekly or monthly rent will be and confirm it’s affordable for you.

Service charges

You do not currently pay a service charge with Local Space. However, if you move to a property owned by another landlord, you may be required to pay charges for things such as:

• Communal lighting or cleaning.
• Grounds maintenance.
• Building or estate management.
• Shared facilities or lifts.

Service charges vary between landlords, so always ask for full details before accepting an exchange.

You’ll need your landlord’s permission, so if you’re interested in a mutual exchange, please get in touch with us on 020 8221 4000 or email info@localspace.co.uk

Following permission, we recommend using HomeSwapper to take you through the mutual exchange process. You can register on HomeSwapper for free.

Once you’ve found a suitable swapper, please get back in touch with us. We’ll need to check that you qualify for your new home and that it’s suitable and affordable for you and your family. For the mutual exchange to be approved, you would also need to have a clear rent account.

If you find a match through HomeSwapper, both landlords will be notified. Before any exchange can go ahead, we will:

• Inspect the property to make sure it’s suitable for the incoming household.
• Complete affordability checks to ensure the rent and any service charges are manageable for the new resident.

These checks help protect both households and ensure everyone understands their responsibilities before moving.