Pennine Housing 2000

Download the HomeSwapper Leaflet here

Swapping your home/ doing a mutual exchange                                

A mutual exchange is where two tenants exchange their properties. If you find another tenant to swap with, you must ask Pennine Housing 2000 for permission before you move. If you move without permission you could lose your home.

Why do a mutual exchange?

There are a lot of benefits of doing a mutual exchange including:

• It may be much quicker then bidding through KeyChoice, especially for those who do not have an official housing need
• You have the option to search for properties all over the country, not just in Calderdale
• You can arrange multiple swaps where a chain of tenants swap properties to find their perfect home

How do I find someone to swap with?

Pennine Housing 2000 have now signed up to the HomeSwapper scheme, which means it is FREE for all of our tenants. If you are not a Pennine Housing 2000 tenant please contact your landlord for advice.

HomeSwapper is the UK's largest list of council and housing association tenants who want to swap their homes, with over 734 landlords currently signed up to the service. One of the key benefits of HomeSwapper is that once you are registered it will do all the work for you by notifying you of potential swaps by email or by text messages to your mobile phone. If you do not have an email address or a mobile phone let Helen Taylor know on the number below to discuss alternatives.

To join HomeSwapper you can apply by:

• registering online at www.homeswapper.co.uk 
• contacting Helen Taylor on 07590227085 who will make an appointment with you to help you to register

You may also find a swap through word of mouth including; friends, family, neighbours etc

What happens when I find someone to swap with?

Contact your Housing Officer and request a mutual exchange application form. Your swap partner should do the same. The completed mutual exchange forms should then be returned to your Housing Officer who will then make checks on your tenancy, suitability of the swap and then contact you to carry out a home visit to inspect your property.

How long will it take you to make your decision?

We will let you know within 42 working days of us receiving your mutual exchange form.

Might my swap be refused? 

Your swap would not be refused without valid reason. These reasons include; 

• Either tenant being under Notice of Seeking Possession or involved in legal proceedings following notice
• Either property being specifically designed for a disabled tenant or adapted for a person with special needs and the new tenant does not require such a property
• Either property being too large or too small for either tenant
• Either applicant having rent arrears that are not cleared on the day of the move

Do not swap until you have been contacted by Pennine Housing 2000 and advised it is alright to move.

Maryam Adrees was living in Woking and looking for a home closer to her family in Bradford. HomeSwapper matched her to a tenant living in Ovenden who wanted to move to Woking for work. Within two weeks they’d arranged to view each other’s properties and in less than a month they signed up and moved in to their new homes!!

Ms Adrees said “HomeSwapper is a brilliant way of finding a new home. In the time I was registered I was offered so many potential swaps including a 5 way chain! I settled on this direct swap as the location was perfect for both me and my children.  As you are in control of arranging to see each other’s properties, the process moves as quickly as you need. Having local knowledge before I moved here was brilliant too and I even took my swap partner to visit my childminder and gave her information about local schools whilst she was viewing my home. Once we had agreed to swap it all happened very quickly and efficiently and Pennine Housing 2000 were brilliant. Without HomeSwapper I would never have found my new home and still been miles away from my family. I’ve recommended HomeSwapper to so many of my friends and family!”