Swapping your home
By swapping tenancies with another household, you may be able to move more quickly.
what is home swapping?
Home swapping, sometimes referred to as mutual exchange, means you can mutually swap your home with someone else.
This can be useful if you need more space for your family, want to downsize to a smaller property, or would like to live in another area.
By swapping tenancies with another household, you may be able to move more quickly – and this includes to homes outside of County Durham.
Home Swap Direct is a government scheme designed to increase your chances of successfully swapping your home. By agreeing to participate in Home Swap Direct you are consenting to your property being advertised on other home swap services. No personal data will be made available other than the property details you have submitted. Your name and email address will not be made available. If tenants from other home swap services are interested in swapping with you we will send any contact from them to the email address that you have provided.
How to register for home swapping
If you live in the Durham area and wish to find someone to swap with someone in the Durham Area you can join the Durham Key Options Home Swap scheme;
Durham Key Options’ HomeSwap scheme allows you to mutually exchange your property with another social housing tenant without having to wait on the housing register.
When you apply for a home swap through Durham Key Options, there is an option to join the Home Swap Direct scheme.
Go to Home exchange, mutual exchange and HomeSwap Direct – Durham County Council and follow the instructions.
If approved, your advert will appear on the Durham Key Options website for three months.
If you have not found a suitable exchange during this time, then you will need to tell Durham Key Options that you want to continue to advertise for a swap.
If you find a suitable exchange, you and the tenant you want to exchange with must get written permission from your landlord(s) before you can move.
We will carry out application checks before permission can be granted. Please note, your landlord or your landlord’s agent may want to inspect your property and make sure that both properties are suitable and in a good state of repair.
Please note; We can refuse a home swapping request when one or more of the following grounds apply (ground number in brackets):
- The tenant or the proposed assignee (incoming tenant) is subject to a possession order of the property (1)
- A Notice of proceedings for possession has been served or Possession proceedings have been begun, against the tenant or proposed assignee under a Schedule 2 Housing Act 1988 ground which is the same one of Grounds 1 to 6 of Schedule 2 Housing Act 1985 – so this includes non-payment of rent and breach of tenancy (2)
- Possession proceedings have begun against the tenant or proposed assignee under the mandatory ground for possession 7A of the Housing Act 1988 (2ZA)
- An anti-social behaviour type order has been made or an application for such order has been made relating to the tenant or proposed assignee (2A)
- The property is subject to a closure notice or closure order has been made under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 (2B)
- The property offers accommodation substantially more extensive than reasonably required by the proposed assignee (3)
- The property offers accommodation which is not reasonably suitable (e.g., overcrowded) to the needs of the proposed assignee and their family (4)
- The property was let to tenant in consequence of employment, related to non-housing purposes (5)
- The assignee’s occupation conflicts with the landlord’s charitable objects (6)
- The property is substantially different because of its type or adaptations which make it suitable for physically disabled and the proposed assignee does not require such differences (7)
- Conflict with purposes of specialist housing association or trust (8)
- The property is in a group of properties provided for persons with specific requirements and where the facilities to meet those requirements are on site or nearby and the proposed occupiers do not meet the criteria. For example, sheltered housing schemes (9)
- Refusal by the assignee to become a member of tenant’s housing association which is managing the property (10)