Mutual exchange

Sometimes things change and you would rather be living in a different home. Maybe your job has changed and you’d rather be in a different town? Or maybe your children have grown up and you’d like to downsize?

A mutual exchange is a way of swapping your home with someone else who also wants to move. Most customers are allowed to exchange once any starter tenancy period is over.

Due to current workloads, it’s taking us much longer than usual to get back to our customers. This is due to a number of reasons including some changes we have made to our systems as well as a number of vacancies we are currently recruiting for.

We are really sorry about this and are all working hard to improve this situation but this will take us some time.

We are continuing to take applications for mutual exchanges, however these are taking longer than usual to process. Please do not arrange to move until we have agreed your application with you.

We are currently only processing moves to another Magna home via the councils housing register where there is an urgent need to move for households whose applications are emergency or gold band. This is to allow us to catch up with letting empty homes and we hope to be able to allow transfers more generally once we have caught up.

What do I need to do to exchange?

You should check with us first to make sure you qualify for an exchange.

If you want to go ahead with an exchange, you do need to get permission from us in writing, but we will not refuse permission without giving our reasons.

Sometimes we will ask you to carry out work to your home before we'll allow a mutual exchange to take place. We normally won't allow a mutual exchange to take place if you owe us money.

Can I exchange with someone in another part of the country?

Yes, you can exchange with someone anywhere across the UK.

We subscribe to the national Homeswapper register which can help you find other people with homes that might suit you better. Homeswapper has over 304,000 homes available across the country.

If you live in Somerset, you have to pay a fee for Homeswapper. So for anyone living in Somerset, we also subscribe to Homefinder Somerset.

We also subscribe to the national register of council and housing association tenants who want to swap throughout England, Exchange Locata.

How do I qualify for an exchange?

There are certain rules about who is eligible for an exchange.

You must have a clear rent account at least two weeks before moving and you must keep your payments up-to-date. You should also repay any other outstanding debts to us, such as legal costs, supporting people charges or recharge costs.

The exchange must not cause overcrowding or unreasonable under-occupation.

If you have a joint tenancy with someone else, your partner must also agree.

You must not be undergoing legal proceedings.

Can I move into any kind of property?

Your new home must be suitable for your needs. It must not be too big or too small. Some homes have been adapted or designed for people with disabilities or other special needs - unless you have special needs you will not qualify for these properties.

You can only move into a sheltered housing property if you are eligible; generally you must be aged 55 or over and / or have the need for the support offered by our sheltered housing.

For more information

If you’d like to find out more about mutual exchange, including finding out if you can exchange, please contact us on 01305 216060 or email tenancy management or visit www.homeswapper.co.uk

You can find out more about our criteria and the process around mutual exchanges in our tenancy management policy.

How can I find an exchange?

If you're a Magna customer, log in to Home Swapper

Other ways to find an exchange

Exchange Locata is a direct, online social housing exchange service for tenants and landlords. The national register of council and housing association tenants who want to swap homes throughout England.

You may also find someone to exchange with through word of mouth, advertising in local shops, online groups on social media, and many more ways too.

What happens when I have found an exchange?

If you are swapping with a tenant from outside Magna, we will provide the other landlord with a report on you. They will provide us in turn with a report on the people you are swapping with.

Once the exchange is agreed we will inspect your home and tell you about any work that needs doing before you move.

You must have written permission from us and the other landlord before you exchange homes.

Get in touch with us here or talk to your housing officer for more information. If you're not sure who your housing officer is, you can find out here.