An exchange is a voluntary arrangement between two households to swap homes. It’s easy once you’ve found a willing household with a home that fits the bill!

Some basic terms and conditions apply to exchanges. Applicants should:

• Be a Guinness tenant (no Starter or Assured Shorthold tenancies)
• Have a clear rent account
• Have kept to the terms of your tenancy agreement

To see the full set of terms and conditions contact your local office.

You can also swap your home with another Guinness tenant or a tenant of another housing association or council as long as the landlords give their written permission.

There are a number of ways to find a new home:

• Online services: Homeswapper and House Exchange. You can register your property and search listings of available properties on these two sites. For maximum choice, you should register with both sites. Registration is free because we have subscribed on your behalf
• You can also look at the local authority’s list of exchanges or place an advert in local shops or newspapers.

What kind Of tenancy will I have if I exchange?

Usually you will be taking over the tenancy of the person you are exchanging with. Technically you are doing an "exchange by assignment". So it is very important to find out about their tenancy. Ask to see their tenancy agreement and compare it with your own. Remember: you are agreeing to take on their tenancy agreement.

If they cannot find their tenancy agreement, ask their landlord. You are going to have to get their landlord's consent to take over the tenancy agreement so you will need to be in touch.

Differences to look out for include:

• Rents. If you are a Secure tenant with a Fair Rent fixed by the Rent Officer, you may be considering a swap with a council tenant whose rent is fixed by the council, or with an assured tenant of ours or another housing association, whose rent is fixed by the landlord and may be higher than a Fair Rent
  
• Right to buy. If you are a Guinness Housing Association tenant and have a Preserved Right To Buy, you cannot take that right with you if you swap with any Guinness Trust tenant or any Assured Tenant of any landlord
  
• Succession. Some relatives living with the tenant have the right to take over the tenancy when the tenant dies, this varies depending on the sort of tenancy and the landlord

 I have found a new property, what do I do?

You need to get all landlords' permission. Your first step is to fill in a Mutual Exchange application form and send it to your Housing Officer.

If you are exchanging with someone who is not a Guinness tenant, we will contact the other landlord. The landlords will give each other information on all the tenants involved in the exchange, including:

• The size of the households
• Whether there are rent arrears
• Whether there is an existing court order or court proceedings have started
• Whether the tenant has committed any serious anti-social behaviour

We will visit you to look at the condition of the property. You may need to repair any damage you have caused before an exchange can go ahead.

We will give you a decision within 42 days of receiving your application form.

Reasons for refusing an exchange

There are a number of reasons why an exchange might be refused. The most common are:

• Rent arrears
• The property is the wrong size (too big or too small) for the incoming household
• One of the tenants is being taken to court for possession of the property
• The property is in a sheltered scheme and the incoming tenant does not need those facilities
• The new tenant's income is higher than is allowed by our charitable aims and s/he is not already a Guinness tenant

We may decide to give you conditional consent. This means that the exchange can go ahead only when you have dealt with problems that are your responsibility, like rent arrears or certain repairs.