Before and after!   Beacon Ave & Cleve Rd flats are the first to have new thermally insulated doors fitted.

Tenant Participation	Mutual Exchange
Anti Social Behaviour	Paying your Rent
Garages & Parking	Pets
Moving Home	Right to Aquire
Repairs	Useful Contacts

Mutual Exchange

What is Mutual Exchange?

This is where tenants obtain their Landlords consent to exchange and move into each others homes.

An "Internal Exchange" is an exchange between two Cornerstone Tenants.

An "External Exchange" is an exchange between a Cornerstone Tenant and the Tenant of another Housing Association or Council.

You Can Apply Providing That:

a) You do not owe any rent and have a clear rent account
b) You are an "Assured" or "Secure" Tenant
c) You have complied with the Terms and Conditions of your Tenancy Agreement
d) The proposed exchange would not lead to under occupation or overcrowding in either of the properties.


How do I apply?

When you have found another tenant with whom you would like to exchange homes, you will need to contact your Housing Officer in writing with your details and the details of the other tenant. You will then need to complete and return to Cornerstone a Mutual Exchange Application Form.

If you are not a Cornerstone Tenant, you should also contact your Landlord as you will need their consent to exchange.


What Happens Next?

When we have received both application forms we will write to you confirming this. We will also inform you of the following:

a) How the Exchange will be administered if consent to exchange is given. This will either be by the issue of a new tenancy, or by Assignment of the existing Tenancy Agreement.

b) How much the rent and other charges will be for the property you want to move into (Cornerstone Property only).

Please note that you may be charged a higher rent level than the current tenant is paying. If you would like more information about this before you complete your application form please contact the Housing Officer.

If you are currently a Cornerstone Tenant we will ask you to contact the Housing Officer to arrange an appointment to visit you at home to carry out an inspection of the property. If you have applied to do an external exchange, we will send a Tenancy Report regarding you and your family to the other Tenants Landlord.


How long will this process take?

We will give you a written decision to your application within 42 days. External Exchanges generally take longer to process than internal exchanges due to the liaison required between the two landlords involved.

You can be assured that we will deal with your application as quickly as possible. You will be required to sign a Deed of Assignment or new Tenancy Agreement to complete the exchange procedure.


Moving Home

If consent to exchange has been given, and you then decide not to move, or want to change the moving date, please inform the Housing Officer immediately. When you move, you are responsible for completely clearing the property and garden areas (if applicable), including rubbish and unwanted items.


Grounds for Refusal/Withholding Consent to Exchange

The Landlord may withhold consent and refuse permission to exchange on one of several grounds. The main grounds are listed below:

1. The Landlord has obtained a Possession Order against the Tenants which remains in force

2. The Dwelling is too large for the proposed incoming Tenant

3. The Dwelling is too small for the proposed incoming Tenant

4. The Dwelling has been designed or adapted for a specific purpose, ie Sheltered Housing for Elderly persons or properties specially adapted for disabled persons.

If the Housing Association needs to withhold consent to exchange we will inform you in writing as soon as possible, and not later than 42 days after the date we received the application. The ground for withholding consent will be stated as shown in Schedule 3 of the Housing Act 1985.