Tyne And Wear

Saturday, 28-Jan-2012

Text size: A A A

Home

Welcome to HomeXchangeTyne&Wear

HomeXchange Tyne and Wear is a mutual exchange service that allows you not only to swap homes with a tenant from your own authority but also to advertise for an exchange with a tenant from another area

The 5 main social landlords across Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, and Sunderland have joined forces to create a new way for you to advertise to swap your home. HomeXchange is now offering you the opportunity to advertise your property on the web and view properties of other applicants across the Tyne & Wear region.

For a person to register for the scheme they need to upload their property details onto the mutual exchange application. Please ensure you include your preferred contact details on your application, but be assured these will not be displayed on the website. Your completed application will then be forwarded to your local housing office for verification and loading onto the HomeXchange website. You will also be sent a password which you will need to view the full details of advertised properties. You will also need this to contact your potential exchange partners.

Please remember to check your shortlist in the “My Mutual Exchange” area for the contact details of others who have expressed an interested in swapping with you

If you have expressed an interest in a property and have received no contact from the other party after 21 days, you can assume that they are not interested and withdraw you bid

Who is eligible?

Anyone who is a tenant (usually of more than 12 months standing) of one of the partner landlords is able to participate in the scheme. Full details of the partners can be found on the Partners Page.

How do I apply?

You can use this scheme if you are a tenant of one of the partner landlords, you need not have registered for a transfer, all you have to do is complete the “household registration” document which first appears on screen. Once submitted the system will then generate a membership number and following receipt of this you will be able to continue and complete the mutual exchange application. After you have submitted this it will be directed to your local office for verification before it appears on the WEB, this should take no longer than 5 days to complete. Once your application has been verified your advert will appear on the WEB site and in the newsletter. As a member of the scheme you can then express an interest in other advertised properties

Will this cost me anything?

No. This is a free service to all tenants of the participating landlords

FAQs

What is a mutual exchange?

A mutual exchange is when you swap homes with another tenant of a social landlord. You assume responsibility for the condition including some repairs of the property so please check this carefully and if possible only view properties in daylight hours

Will the scheme help me move to a different area?

HomeXchange allows you to advertise across the Tyne and Wear region and view other properties of all those interested in swapping It allows you to consider exchanging with other tenants of other social landlords

Can I use HomeXchange without being a member?

Available swaps can be viewed without being a member of HomeXchange but you must be registered on the scheme before you can express any interest in an advertised home

I’ve forgotten my reference number. What do I do?

You can use the contact form on the home page and request the information or you could contact your local office who would be able to supply this

Who will be able to see my contact details?

Only the person with whom you want to swap with will see your details. When you express an interest in their home your preferred contact details (from your original application) is automatically placed on the shortlist in “My Account –My Mutual Exchange” and they will contact you if they want to proceed with a viewing

Can I add photographs to my application?

Yes. You will be able to upload photographs of your home onto your application and we would encourage you to do this. However one image must be identified as your main photograph for use in the newsletter . It is easy to upload photographs, after you have received your membership number open “My Account and then My Mutual Exchange” follow the on line link and then upload the image from your PC or camera. Please note that images will be directed to your local housing office for verification before appearing on your advert. Try to keep these images simple and avoid having any people or children in the photograph.All photographs are accepted in jpeg format

Please note we reserve the right to reject images we consider to be unsuitable

Can I change my application at any time?

Yes- you can amend your details on the website. Log in to the site using your reference number and simply edit your details via “My Account –My Mutual exchange” Please note that any changes will be verified by your local office before they appear on the website. You can also delete your application at any time using the Withdraw Advert button which is available only after you have logged in. By clicking on this your advert will be removed from the site and also from the lists of any other applicant who has expressed an interest in your home.

I’ve received a message that my advert is due to expire. What do I do?

It is recommended that after you log-in you check your shortlist area for any recent and suitable bids recorded. If there is nothing suitable you should withdraw your current advert and complete a new mutual exchange application. This will be then be forwarded to your local housing office for approval prior to appearing on the web. By doing this all unwanted bids will be cleared from your shortlist area.

If there is a bid that does interest you please contact your local office who can then amend the expiry date of your advert

What happens when I find a suitable swap?

When your registration with HomeXchange is accepted your advert will appear on the Website allowing other tenants with an active application to view and apply for your home. When you apply for another property your details are passed to the current tenant allowing them to view your property. Your contact details are also forwarded to them. These will appear in the “Your Account Section” when the other person logs in and will only be accessible to them. If they are interested in swapping it is their responsibility to contact you. Once you have viewed each others home and wish to proceed with the exchange you both should confirm that you want to exchange. Both adverts will be removed from the website with the exchange details passed to the relevant housing office for approval. Do not worry if the properties are in different local authority areas, the local offices will make contact to discuss the application

Please note that you must not proceed with any removal arrangements until you have received the full approval of your landlord and you have signed all the necessary documentation You could be putting your home at risk if you move without this permission

If your exchange is approved both adverts will automatically be removed from the website If the exchange is refused the adverts will again be automatically uploaded onto the site.

Can my exchange be refused?

Yes. Your landlord can refuse to give you permission to exchange if it does not meet a number of conditions. These are set out in the Part 111 of the Housing Act 1985 and are:

If one or both parties wishing to exchange has been served a court order giving notice to quit the property.
If one or both parties wishing to exchange has received Notice of Proceedings for possession and the notice has not expired.
The size of the property is not suitable for the parties exchanging, it might be too big and not be a good use of council property,
If the property is too small and to allow the exchange to take place may cause overcrowding..
If one or both of the properties have been tied to the employment of the tenant for example if it is a school caretaker’s home
The property is owned by a charity and the exchange would be against their rules.
The property has been designed or adapted specifically for a physically disabled person and where the exchange partner or family is not disabled.
If one of the properties is owned by a housing association or housing trust and has a particular purpose for example it is sheltered or for older people and the exchange partner does not fit that criteria.
If one of the properties is for people with special needs or is a group of properties supported by social care services and the exchange partner does not fit the criteria.
If one of the properties is managed by a housing association and that housing association must have at least 50% membership and the exchanging party is not willing to become a member

There may be other local reasons for refusal which will be if needed explained to you should this occur

Your landlord must respond to your application within 42 days. If no response is received from your application it can be assumed that permission is granted

Other Important Information

It is illegal to offer any form of incentive including any form of payment when either advertising or considering an exchange. If you do you could be faced with legal action which may result in you losing your home

When considering an exchange you must be aware that you accept the property in its present condition. The landlord may only carry out repairs that they are legally required to do. It is therefore important that you view the property carefully

Some information on this site is in PDF format (Portable Document Format) To view these documents you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader