What do I need to do when I've found someone to mutual exchange (swap) with?

If you’ve made any alterations to your home, you need to make sure you had permission for these. If you didn’t, then you need to request permission and then apply for the exchange after you have permission.

You and the person you are exchanging with need to complete the Mutual Exchange Application Form.

You both need to complete the application forms and send them to us at enquiries@futureshg.co.uk. It is important you both complete the forms as we cannot process the request until both applications have been received.

What do I need to do next?

You need to make sure that your rent account is paid up to date. If you are behind on any rent payments, you need to make sure you pay all the outstanding rent, or the exchange cannot take place.

What do I need to check or be aware of?

It is important that you are aware of the tenancy you will be taking on when you swap, as different tenancies give you different rights. If you are swapping with another Futures customer then your neighbourhood officer can talk to you about this in more detail if necessary.

If you are exchanging with someone who is not a Futures customer, we cannot give you any advice about the tenancy you will be taking on. You will need to find out more information from the person you are intending to swap with and/or their landlord.

Your neighbourhood officer will be in touch with a decision on the mutual exchange within 42 days (the legal requirement) of receiving all completed application forms.

We know you will be eager to find out whether you can move to a new home, but we need time to review the applications and make all the necessary checks to make sure everything can run smoothly for you.

Why might my swap be refused?

Your neighbourhood officer will be in touch with you to let you know if, and why, your swap has not been allowed to go ahead.

Written consent from both landlords is necessary for an exchange to take place, and consent can only be withheld on specific reasons, called “grounds”. These grounds are set out in the Housing Acts.

The grounds for refusing a mutual exchange are summarised below;

• A court order has been granted against one or more of the tenants
• A notice of seeking possession has been served and is still in force at the time of the request
• The property is substantially larger than is required by the tenant wishing to move in
• The property is not suitable for the needs of the tenant wishing to move in
• The property is tied to the tenant’s employment
• The occupation of the property by the tenant wishing to move in would be in conflict with the charitable objectives of the landlord
• The property is adapted, and the adaptations are not required by the tenant wishing to move in
• The property is designated and the tenant wishing to move in does not meet the designation requirements

We may give you conditional approval to swap. This means that if you complete the items we say need to be done and to our satisfaction, then you will be allowed to swap. For example, it could be something like you would be required to clear any outstanding rent arrears or complete certain repairs that are your responsibility.