Bracknell Forest Homes

Transcription

1 Mutual exchanges Bracknell Forest Homes

2 This leaflet explains how you may swap your home with one or more tenants of any other housing association or council. This is known as a mutual exchange. A mutual exchange can be a great way to move location, to downsize or to find a property more suited to your needs. Can I exchange? You must ask permission from your landlord to carry out a mutual exchange. Customers with assured and assured (preserved rights) tenancies can apply for an exchange. Starter tenants are not eligible to carry out a mutual exchange. If you are unsure about the type of tenancy you have please contact us. We will be happy to clarify this for you. We would not refuse permission for an exchange unreasonably, but we may ask you to pay back any money owed and to make repairs for which you are responsible, before agreeing to the exchange. You must not offer money to bring about an exchange. We will refuse an exchange if we have reason to suspect that any party is acting illegally. How do I find someone to exchange with? It is up to you to find a swap that will suit your needs. We recommend visiting: HomeSwapper is the UK s largest online mutual exchange website and has details of thousands of tenants across the country who are looking for an exchange. Bracknell Forest Homes has signed up to HomeSwapper, which means that you can register for free. You may also wish to consider advertising your property locally in shop windows or newspapers. 2 Mutual exchanges

3 What should I do when I have found someone to swap with? Make sure you have viewed each other s properties and that you are happy with the condition of the property you will be moving to. We would advise that you do not view on your own. When you agree to a mutual exchange you will be accepting the property in its current condition. This includes the standard of decoration and taking responsibility for the costs of any damage caused by the existing tenants. Examples could include marks on the walls or missing doors. Some of our properties are let at an Affordable Rent (AR) which is 80% of the local average rent. You should check how much the rent is with the current occupier. We will carry out a financial assessment for you if you are moving into an Affordable Rent property so that you can be sure that you can afford to live in the property. Contact Bracknell Forest Homes for mutual exchange application forms. You will need to complete the application form in full and return it to us. All parties involved in the exchange will need to complete a Bracknell Forest Homes application form. This means that even if you are swapping with a tenant from another housing association or council, they will still need to complete one of our forms. Any tenants involved in the exchange will also need to contact their own landlord to discuss the exchange. 3

4 What happens next? We will arrange to carry out an inspection of your home. During this inspection we will let you know about any responsibilities or repairs you may need to carry out before we would agree to the exchange. It also enables us to make the incoming tenant aware of any responsibilities they will be taking on, for example this could include making the tenant aware they are responsible for carpets, tenant s fixtures and fittings and for any existing damage to the property. We will arrange for electrical safety checks to be carried out at your property by our qualified electricians prior to the exchange. We will also arrange energy performance certificates. We will contact any other housing associations or councils involved in the exchange to swap references for each tenant. Can permission for an exchange be refused? Yes, but only under specific circumstances. These include, if you or the person you wish to exchange with: Has a Possession Order against them including tenancy related debt and/or rent arrears Has been served with a Notice Seeking Possession Has a Court Order made against them due to anti-social behaviour Wants to move to a property that is too large or too small for their needs Wants to move to a property such as sheltered accommodation for the elderly or adapted for disabilities but does not meet the criteria. How long does it take? We will always try to make a decision as quickly as possible. The maximum time we will take to make a decision is 42 days. December

5 What shall I do once I have permission for the swap? You will need to agree a moving date with the other parties. We would normally plan that parties to the exchange would move over a weekend. The tenancy assignment document then takes effect from the Monday following that weekend. We will need to ensure that any other housing associations or councils involved have also given permission for the exchange and agree to the moving date. Once a date has been agreed we will arrange an appointment for you and any other parties to the exchange to attend our offices at Berkshire Court. This appointment would normally take place on a Friday before the exchange weekend. During this appointment you will sign a tenancy assignment document and other paperwork in relation to the exchange. We will also arrange a gas safety check to be completed on the Monday that the tenancy assignment document takes effect. Please note you and the person you are exchanging with are responsible for swapping all the keys to the property and the tenant handbook that accompanies the property. You must also remember to pay rent to the correct landlord following an exchange. What we will do to help: Our staff will be on hand to talk you through the process and provide the relevant paperwork We will carry out an inspection of your home We will carry out electrical and gas safety checks (the gas check will be done shortly after the move takes place) We will carry out reference checks for the tenants Other things you may want to consider when moving: Removal costs Re-directing mail Organising your utilities Making sure you notify key organisations like Bracknell Forest Council and the DWP that you have moved Speaking to your insurance providers. 5 Mutual exchanges

6 If you require this leaflet about Mutual exchanges in larger print, audio, braille or another language please contact the freephone number Get in touch! Berkshire Court Western Road Bracknell Berkshire RG12 1RE General: Customer Enquiries: Web: Bracknell Forest Homes Limited is a charitable registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefits Societies Act 2014 registration number 30230R December 2014