Council Home Mutual Exchange
E-mail: mutualexchange@eastdevon.gov.uk
About Mutual Exchange
Council or Housing Association tenants can swap their home with another tenant providing your Council (or the Housing Association) agrees.
Please note that it is not the Council’s (or Housing Association’s) responsibility to find you a suitable tenant to swap with. It is up to you to find someone who is also looking to swap. Once you have found another tenant and agreed the move in principal, then you must seek permission from your Council (or Housing Association). It is very important that you do not move until you have approval in writing.
Once a formal application has been received, your Council (or Housing Association) has 6 weeks to make the decision. An exchange may be refused if one of the tenants is:
- in rent arrears
- under notice to leave the property.
An exchange may also be refused if:
- the properties are too big or too small for the people intending to move there
- if one of the properties is designated for elderly or disabled persons.
For further details on the approval process, eligibility, and for the required Mutual Exchange Request Forms, please contact the Housing Needs Department.
With a mutual exchange, you will be asked to accept the property in the condition it has been left by the previous tenant. The Council will carry out routine repairs in accordance with the tenancy agreement, but no demand can be made for specific work to be undertaken on condition of accepting the exchange. (The Council do carry out Health & Safety checks as part of the approval process) but it is your responsibility to undertake any repairs not covered by the agreement.
Mutual Exchange in East Devon
We have a new Internal Mutual Exchange Register for East Devon tenants who would like to swap their homes with another tenant in the district. We hope this will provide tenants with a further opportunity of securing a move.
To view the register, click here.
How to Register for Mutual Exchange in East Devon
To add your home to the register, contact the Housing Needs team for an application form or download a form below.
Note to applicants already on the Mutual Exchange Register
East Devon District Councils Mutual Exchange Register has now been up and running for twelve months.
In order to ensure that the information available is up to date, anyone registered before June 2007 must submit a new form to remain on the register.
Click here to download an application form in word format (74KB)
You can complete this form electronically and e-mail it to mutualexchange@eastdevon.gov.uk
Or you can print it out and post the completed version to:
Housing Needs
East Devon District Council
Knowle
Sidmouth
EX10 8HL
Click here to download an application form in pdf (63KB - PDF Help)
You can print out this form and post the completed version to the Housing Needs team.
Please ensure that the application form is fully completed. Incomplete forms will not be added to the Register
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Mutual Exchange in the UK
The national homeswap database - a register for those tenants wishing to move from one area to another has now closed. Information about alternative schemes and other useful information is available at www.direct.gov.uk/socialhousing
East Devon District Council does not currently offer a mutual exchange register for tenants wanting to move into the area from other authorities. However, we are happy to accept mutual exchange applications from external tenants with East Devon District Council tenants.
Further Information
Tenants looking for a mutual exchange may also wish to consider advertising in local newpapers or newsagents.
For any further information, please contact the Housing Needs Team on 01395 517469. Or e-mail mutualexchange@eastdevon.gov.uk
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