Rent a home

Moving home

You can swap homes with another social housing tenant through mutual exchange.

A young women is unpacking removal boxes in an empty room

Are you thinking about moving home for work or to be nearer family? Could you do with a little more space for your growing family? Or perhaps you’d like a little less space now your children have left home? Mutual exchange could be the answer.

Mutual exchange is when you swap homes with another social housing tenant. This could be another GreenSquareAccord customer or someone from a different housing association or local authority. You can move locally or to another part of the country – the choice is yours.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find a home to swap?

You can find your next home through the HomeSwapper website. After you sign up online, you’ll be able to see all the homes to swap. 

There’s no cost to sign up and you’ll be able to search for homes right across the country. You can use HomeSwapper to contact other tenants about exchanging homes and arranging viewings.

Please contact us if you're having trouble accessing or using the HomeSwapper website. We can help you sign up and start your search for a new home.

What do I do when I find someone to swap homes?

It’s important you look around the property before you agree to swap. When you move in, you’ll be taking on the property in its current condition.

You’ll also be taking over the other person’s tenancy when you swap homes, so you’ll be taking on their rights and responsibilities – including when it comes to repairs and maintenance.

If they have a different type of tenancy, we may not be able to approve your swap or your rights may change.

How do I apply to swap homes?

Once you’ve visited each other’s homes and you’re happy to go ahead with the swap, you’ll need to apply to both your landlords using the SwapTracker service on the HomeSwapper website. 

Read the SwapTracker guide to applying for a home exchange

We’ll agree or decline your request to swap houses within 42 days. During this time, we’ll check:

  • you don’t owe us any rent or service charges
  • your new home is the right size for you and your family
  • you can afford to live in the new property
  • your current home is safe and in good condition for the next tenant 

We won’t be able to agree to your home swap if:

  • your rent isn’t up to date
  • the property is too big or too small for your family
  • the property isn’t suitable for your family, for example, it doesn’t have the right adaptations or a person without a physical disability wants to move into an adapted home
  • a court has ordered either property must be given back to the landlord
  • your property has a possession order or notice of seeking possession

When can I move in?

Once both landlords have approved the swap, we’ll make an appointment with you to complete the mutual exchange paperwork.

Do I have to pay to move?

It’s free to register your home and find a new property on HomeSwapper.

If you do find a home to swap, you’ll need to pay for all the costs of moving house. For example, hiring a removal van and buying boxes.