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Housing

Swapping your council home

Swapping homes is much quicker than waiting for a transfer through the Housing Register.

You'll need our permission to move. If you move without written approval you'll have to move back, and in extreme cases you may lose both homes.

Introductory tenants are not entitled to swap homes.


Home Swapper registration

If you want to swap your City of York Council home, either within York or nationally, you should register with Home Swapper and fill in the form on their website.

Using detailed information about your property including photos and a description about your local area will help you to find a swap.

Registration is straightforward and is free for City of York Council tenants, and you can start looking for properties straight away.

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Preparing for a home swap

In addition to Home Swapper, you can use our noticeboards or advertise in places like local newspapers, shops or on social media. You can also contact the council in the area you wish to move to for further information.

After locating a suitable home swap, you should check each other's homes before agreeing to move.

Your home and garden should be in a good condition. You'll become responsible for any alterations, improvements or repairs carried out by the outgoing tenant.

You must not offer money or goods to anyone to encourage them to swap homes with you.

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Home swap checks

Your Housing Management Officer will check:

  • the condition of your home and garden
  • that your rent account is not in arrears
  • that you don't have any other outstanding bills, such as recharges

Your move may be delayed if:

  • your home or garden are not in a good condition
  • you have rent arrears or other debts with the council
  • you've broken your tenancy agreement in any way

Your Housing Management Officer will tell you how much rent you will need to pay, and the rent you pay in your new home may be different from that paid by the outgoing tenant.

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Home swap approval

We'll let you know if you can swap homes within 6 weeks.

If your move is approved, you'll be invited to sign a new form, allowing you to legally swap your homes.

Once the new agreement is signed you must move. You'll be the legal tenant of your new home and will have no rights to stay in your old home.

You'll need to agree a date for moving and it's your responsibility to inform any companies that provide services to your home, for example gas, electricity, sewerage and water.

If you're claiming Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance you might qualify for help with the costs of moving, see information about Budgeting Loans on GOV.UK.

If you're in receipt of Universal Credit or Housing Benefit you'll need to let them know you've moved house.

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Reasons why your move may be refused

Your swap request may be refused in certain circumstances, such as:

  • there is a court order in existence, requiring you to give up possession of your home
  • a Notice of Seeking Possession has been served due to one or more of your tenancy conditions being broken
  • the home you want to move to is larger or smaller than is reasonably needed by your family
  • one of the homes was allocated because of special needs, and if the swap took place there would no longer be a person with those special needs living in the home

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Moving to a home owned by another landlord

It's important that you check any details with your new landlord and the existing tenant.

Your Housing Management Officer will supply details about your current home including information about your rent account and how your tenancy has been conducted.

Some homes cannot be bought by the tenant under the Right to Buy scheme. Check this with the new landlord before you agree to move.

Different landlords offer different tenancy conditions, and the rent and service charges you pay may be different from the rent of the person you are swapping with, you should check this with the new landlord.

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If you need to move urgently

If you're being harassed by neighbours, are living in fear of violence, or have other exceptional circumstances talk to your Housing Management Officer.

Housing Services will decide what action should be taken, which could involve a move.

They will also look at other ways to solve the problem, such as an injunction. This may mean getting help from other people, such as the police and social workers.

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Also see

Housing Management Officer

Find contact details for your Housing Management Officer (HMO).

Find details of your HMO