How can I apply?

Most Bury Council tenants have a legal right to swap their home but you must first get approval from Six Town Housing. Housing Association tenant's may also have a legal right to swap if it is part of their tenancy agreement.

You may not be able to swap homes if:

• The home you want to move to is much larger than you need.
• The swap would cause overcrowding.
• The landlord is taking legal action against one of the people wishing to swap.

Also:

• If any tenant interested in swapping has rent arrears, these must be paid off before the move will be allowed.
• It is illegal to offer money or goods to persuade someone to swap homes with you. You will be expected to sign a form confirming that no money has changed hands.

Mutual exchange

A mutual exchange is where tenants agree to swap homes with the consent of their landlord(s). There are two ways to let other tenants in Bury know that you are interested in a mutual exchange.

• If you are a Bury Council tenant and ticked the mutual exchange box on your housing application form you will automatically be on a list of people interested in swapping homes. You can apply to be added to the list at any time by contacting us.
The list of people wanting to swap homes is updated regularly and is available from us.

The following information is included on the list:

• Your name, address and telephone number
• The areas to which you would like to move
• The type and size of property you need
• Details of the property you are living in (type, size, heating etc)

You can cancel or change your application for a mutual exchange at any time by contacting us.

• Alternatively you can make contact with another tenant yourself but you must contact your landlord for consent before moving.

You can now also browse online for other people wanting to swap.

A few words of caution

Finding out more about the home you want to move to
Once you have found someone you may want to swap homes with you should try to find out as much as you can about why they want to move and what is involved before you formally agree to swap. Housing staff will tell you what they know about the property and the area, but please remember that sometimes staff do not know all the details so it is up to you to find out.

Changes in rent and tenancy conditions
Different landlords can have different tenancy conditions and charge different rents. The rent you currently pay may be more or less than the rent of the person you are swapping with. You should check both rent and tenancy conditions with the new landlord before deciding to swap homes.

Repairs to your new home
The landlord will not redecorate between one person leaving and another moving in. nor will any decorating vouchers be available for you. You must discuss any repairs with the landlord before you agree to swap. Do not rely on advice from the person moving out that the repairs will be done.

Buying your new home
Some homes cannot be bought by tenants. If the chance to buy your home is important to you please discuss this with your new landlord before you agree to swap. The right to buy does not apply to some housing association tenancies.