Exchange your council home

Secure or assured tenants from Oxford City Council, a housing association or another council are able to exchange homes with another secure or assured tenant.

You need to find a suitable home to exchange, view it and apply for landlord permission before moving. 

Before you apply to exchange

You must get the permission of your landlord.They can refuse permission in certain circumstances, such as:

• an eviction notice has been served
• either of the homes are too large or small for the households who are involved in the exchange
• the home has been built or adapted for people with disabilities or is part of a group of special needs accommodation (such as sheltered housing) and you do not need those adaptations

We expect: 

• your rent account to be clear of arrears
• any outstanding repairs are reported to your landlord or carried out by yourself if they are your responsibility

You must visit the home that you want to move to. When you sign the Deed of Assignment you are agreeing to take the property as it is, and maintain any non-standard items.

For example, we will not replace bedroom doors if they have been removed by the previous tenant, and you have signed the agreement accepting the house without the doors.

Find someone to exchange with

Oxford City Council and most registered social landlords operating in Oxfordshire have joined HomeSwapper. This is a national scheme for exchanges between tenants across the country. This service is free to Oxford City Council tenants and also tenants of housing associations that have joined the scheme.

HomeSwapper offers many advantages over local exchange lists because it allows tenants to include not only local areas they want to move to, but also areas outside their current district.

To join the scheme or find out more visit the HomeSwapper website.

If your landlord is not yet a subscriber, you can still register but there will be a charge.

If you register at the HomeSwapper website, once your entry on the website has been approved by your landlord, you will be able to access information about tenants within Oxfordshire and the rest of the UK who wish to exchange properties. HomeSwapper will also e-mail or text you at regular intervals with details of suitable exchange partners.

Our tenants will only be accepted if the application is made by the tenant of the property and there are no more than 5 weeks rent arrears. We will contact you if your application does not match the information that we currently hold. If you are a Housing Association tenant you should contact your landlord for any terms and conditions.

If you do not have access to a computer you can access the HomeSwapper website on the self-service computers at libraries in Oxfordshire.

When you find someone to exchange with

When you have found an address you think may be suitable you must:

1. contact the tenant yourself and discuss the exchange
2. view the property as no repairs (other than those the landlord is responsible for) will be carried out
3. inform your landlord, and seek their approval
4. once you have approval,complete the necessary paperwork before moving. It is very important you do not move until this is done

When you exchange you take on the same tenancy as the tenant you exchange with (called a deed of assignment). This means that you take on the rights and limitations that go with that tenancy.

Oxford City Council tenants

We will not allow any mutual exchange where payment between the tenants exchanging happens and we may take legal action.

You must inform us and make sure the other person does the same with their landlord. If you are an Oxford City Council tenant you can apply using the online form below or in writing, telling us:

• your name, address and phone number
• the name and address and phone number of the person you want to exchange with
• the name and address of the landlord for the person you want to exchange with
• the date that you would like to move

Property checks

Before the exchange goes ahead, the following checks will be made:

• the property has to be an appropriate size and type for you
• your home will be inspected for condition and any repairs needed will have to be completed and paid for (if appropriate) before the move goes ahead - tenants have to accept the property as it is when they sign the Deed
• gas and electric checks will be carried out
• it is important that you check the property you are moving to thoroughly before agreeing to sign the Deed
• your rent account must be clear or the exchange will not go ahead

Apply to exchange your council home

Oxford City Council tenants can apply to exchange their council home using the form below:

Apply to exchange your council home