Swap a home

Homeswapper and House Exchange are two free services for Peabody tenants which will help you find an exchange partner

These exchange services enable you to list your home and allow you to search for suitable homes. There are thousands of tenants from many different landlords and different towns, villages and cities all looking for their next home. 

The more information that you can provide about your home, the more interest you’ll receive from other tenants who want to exchange. It’s a good idea to include photos too in your listing. Both websites have lots of useful information and support to help you find your next home.

You may also be able to find an exchange by advertising in local shops and papers or by speaking to family and friends. 

Once you’ve found your swap partner, you will both need to get the formal agreement of your landlord before you can move.

If you have an assured, secure or fixed-term tenancy you could be allowed to exchange your home with another tenant. The person you swap with must also have an assured, secure or fixed-term tenancy either with Peabody or another social landlord.

When you find a suitable match, we are generally happy to support your move if:

• the new home is a suitable size for you and your exchange partne
• you don’t have rent arrears you cannot clear
• your property has no adaptations specifically suited for you unless the new tenant has a need for them
• there is no legal action being taken against you or your exchange partner.

Once you have found an exchange partner and we’ve received your application, we’ll check if you meet the criteria to proceed with a mutual exchange.

If you are eligible, we’ll arrange for a surveyor to visit you and carry out an inspection of your home.

After we’ve completed the inspection, we’ll share this information with your exchange partner. We’ll also let you know of any work that needs to be done by you or us before the exchange can go ahead.

If the person you want to swap homes with is not a Peabody tenant, we’ll need to write to their landlord to request a reference as well as forward them a reference for you.

We will make a decision within 42 days of receiving your completed application and we’ll write to you to let you know the outcome.

We know you’ll be eager to move but if you swap homes without permission or after permission has been refused, you will be expected to move back into your original home.

Once we have received a completed application form from you, which includes full details of your exchange partner, we will make a decision within 42 days.

If our decision is that you can go ahead with your exchange, your move normally happens about three weeks later. This gives time for all the paperwork to be signed and everyone exchanging to agree a suitable date.

If you have a different tenancy type to your exchange partner, for example, you are a lifetime assured tenant and have been since before April 2012 and your exchange partner is a fixed term tenant, then we may ask you to bring your current tenancy to an end and issue your exchange partner with a new tenancy.

If you have the same tenancy type as your exchange partner, for example, you are both lifetime assured tenants or both fixed term tenants, we will ask you both to sign a Deed of Assignment. This means you take on the terms of their tenancy agreement and they take on yours.

Even if you have the same tenancy type as your exchange partner, it’s very likely that the tenancy terms and rent amount will be different. Make sure you understand the terms of the agreement you will have with your new landlord if it isn’t Peabody. If you’re moving into a Peabody home, we’ll talk you through the key terms of your new tenancy. 

Yes, a request for mutual exchange can be refused if:

• you are on licence or do not hold an assured, assured shorthold or secure tenancy
• either exchange partner is in rent arrears
• either exchange partner has breached their tenancy conditions or if action has been taken to seek possession of either property
• either exchange partner does not pass a Surveyor’s inspection
• you or a member of your family have a history of anti-social behaviour.

Permission will also be refused if:

• the move results in substantial overcrowding or under-occupation
• an exchange would result in a property specially designed or adapted for a disabled or elderly person being occupied by someone without similar needs.

Yes, there is no limit to the number of times you can move via mutual exchange providing permission is always given by the landlords before you move. 

When you exchange your home with another tenant, you’re taking on all the responsibilities of that new home. This will mean that you’re taking on a different tenancy agreement, possibly with different clauses.

You should also consider:

Bills and expenses: rent, service charges, council tax, and any other outgoings, will likely be different. Travel costs to work, local amenities, and even the heating system in your new home could be different, and more expensive.

Your responsibilities could change. For example, some tenants are expected to attend tenancy reviews, and some aren’t.

There may be differences in the succession arrangements of the new home, meaning that you may not be able to pass on the tenancy to family members, where you can in your current home.

We’ll inspect our property, but you should be sure that the property you are moving to is suitable for your needs. If there are repairs needed, they may be your responsibility.