Mutual exchanges

Overview

A mutual exchange is when you swap your home permanently with another tenant.

Whether it be for a new job, to be closer to family, or for a bigger or smaller home, a mutual exchange is a great way for you to move home.

Before you start

You will need to:

have been a tenant for at least 12 months
be up-to-date with your rent payments

Step one - Register your home

To organise a mutual exchange within South Tyneside, North Tyneside, Newcastle or Gateshead, register your home on the Tyneside House Exchange website.

Once you have registered, your advert will be approved by our Housing Solutions Team.

Tyneside House Exchange

Step two - Find a home to swap with

Once you've registered, the website will match you with people who are interested in a property like yours.

To get the most out of the website, read the advice from Tyneside House Exchange on updating your advert and improving your matches.

Once you have found a home that you are interested in, contact the Housing Solutions Team.

The team will notify the appropriate departments to progress your application.

Step three - Arrange the swap

You and the other party need to visit each other's home to make sure you like the properties and definitely want to go ahead.

If we are the landlord for both parties, we will complete our landlord approvals steps for each party.

If we are the landlord for only one party the other person's landlord will complete their landlord approvals, and we must wait for them to do this.

A member of staff from South Tyneside Council Housing Services will come out to see you. We will:

check your home for any repairs which may need to be carried out
talk to you about the legalities of moving and taking up a new tenancy.

If you are not able to move at this pointwe will tell you in writing why you can't and what you can do to change this, so that you can move in future.

If you are able to move, we will write to you and tell you that you can go ahead with your swap.

We will give you a decision within 42 days.

If you agree to go ahead with the move, you are accepting to take the property as seen.

It is also up to you and the other household to:

make sure that everything from the properties is removed
make any agreements about whether carpets, flooring or blinds are being left behind

We can take no responsibility for items left behind, including anything in the garden or loft.

Step four - The swap

Once it has been agreed that both parties can move, you must arrange this between yourselves for a time and date that suits you both.

Once you have agreed a date you must let us know, so we can organise paperwork which you will need to sign. This is called the Deed of Assignment.

It is very important that you sign the Deed of Assignment, otherwise you technically aren't the new tenant of the home you have moved to.

Help and advice

For help or advice about mutual exchanges, contact the Housing Solutions Service.

South Tyneside Council Housing Services (previously 'South Tyneside Homes')