The term mutual exchange describes the ability of two (or more) tenants

Leasehold estate

A leasehold estate is an ownership of a temporary right to land or property in which a lessee or a tenant holds rights of real property by some form of title from a lessor or landlord....

 in the social housing

Public housing

Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...

 sector in the UK to move house by swapping their homes. . Other terms used for this are "home swap" or "homeswap".

Mutual exchange process

To move home, both tenants must have permission of their landlords. Landlords will normally only grant an exchange if a number of criteria are met. These include:

• Neither tenant owes rent
• Neither tenant is moving to a home that the landlord thinks is too big or small for their circumstances
• Both tenants are secure tenants (council tenants) or assured tenants (housing association)
• Neither tenant is in the process of being evicted

A mutual exchange may involve more than two tenants. The largest reported swap in England has involved a group of 6 tenants swapping their homes between them .

Precise details of the criteria used for home exchanges can be found by a tenant from a their Landlord, and some will identify free resources, such as websites, to help their tenants pair up to make a swap. (eg ).

External Links

• Full explanation of the process on the DirectGov website

• DirectGov service linking to information for particular councils