Mutual exchange – FAQs

We can attach a condition to any consent and you would be unable to move until the condition was met.

For example, we could give permission subject to you paying any rent that you owe, or completing a repair or other work that you are responsible for. This must be done to our satisfaction and we will carry out an inspection to check this.

If you apply through the portal, you will get an automatic notification to say your application has been received.

Once your account has been checked, you will be sent an application form to complete.

We cannot start the process until all information and supporting documents are received from all customers.

You must agree with the person you are exchanging with about how and when you will swap keys.

We’ll make the decision as quickly as possible. The maximum time we’re allowed to take is 42 days from receipt of all applications and support information from all parties in the exchange.

When the decision is made a letter will be sent to you, either giving permission and outlining any conditions or giving the reasons for refusal.

The permission letter will also tell you about any items you will become responsible for, e.g. any alterations or improvements made by your exchange partner, as we will treat these items as though you carried out the work yourself. This means that we may not be responsible for their upkeep or replacement.

You will need to pay any rent that you owe before a mutual exchange takes place.

You should contact your exchange partner to agree a date you would like to move and then contact the Allocations team to confirm this)

Please be aware that we’ll need to make arrangements for a gas and electrical check to be carried out on our property for the mutual exchange start date. As a result, you may need to be flexible with dates to allow us to book these appointments in.

The moving date must be on a Monday. Our Allocations Officer will prepare the necessary paperwork which will be sent to you to digitally sign via DocuSign. You’ll be asked to sign a Deed of Assignment and you’ll be given a copy of the tenancy agreement terms and conditions which will explain your tenancy rights. It’s important that you read this information.

All landlords have 42 days to provide a decision. The reasons we could refuse the exchange are listed below.

Examples where permission can be refused include:

• There is a Possession Order on the property, or a Notice of Seeking Possession has been served.
• The property is too big or too small for the family wishing to move into it.
• The property has been built under a Section 106 Scheme, where it can only be let to people with a direct connection to the parish and the household wanting to move does not have a connection.
• The landlord is a charity and the proposed new tenants moving into the property would conflict with the objects of the charity.
• The property has special features that make it suitable for occupation by a physically disabled person, or is supported housing for people with special needs, or is for particularly vulnerable people, and if the exchange took place there would no longer be such a person living in the property.
• The tenant or any member of the household has behaved in an anti-social way and action is being taken.
• The property is tied accommodation, for example it’s connected to an employer and is reserved for occupancy by an employee.
• The property is the subject of a management agreement and there are specific arrangements in place that the proposed new tenant is not willing to participate in.
• You have a flat/maisonette above the ground floor and are looking to swap with someone who has children under the age of four. (Our Allocations policy states we do not allow children under the age of 4 in flats/maisonettes above the ground floor.)

This could be because we’re waiting for application forms from all applicants involved in the exchange. You will receive an acknowledgement letter as soon as we have received all the applications and support information for customers involved. Please check with all exchange partners to ensure they’re aware they need to complete an application form and return this to us.

You’ll receive an acknowledgement as soon as we’ve received all the applications and support information for applicants involved in the exchange. This acknowledgement will tell you the date the process started and the date you’ll receive a decision by.

An appointment will be made for a surveyor to inspect your home. An inspection is needed so we can advise you of any customer responsibilities or repairs that you need to do before the exchange, as well as advising the incoming customer of any additional responsibilities.

A pre mutual exchange electrical check will be arranged, you will need to ensure you are available for this appointment to allow the contractor access. If the appointments dates are not convenient, you will need to call us to reschedule.
If there is not a current Energy Performance Certificate available for your property, we will arrange for this check to be carried out too.

If your exchange partner is not an Amplius customer, we will write to their landlord to request a reference. We will also forward a reference for you to the other landlord.

Your documents will be emailed to you via DocuSign. You can digitally sign your documents and they’re sent to us immediately.

If your email address has changed, please let us know.
You will need to verify your ID prior to signing the mutual exchange documents.

If you don’t have photographic ID, please let us know prior to signing the document. After that, you’ll be requested to pay four weeks’ advance rent and set up a direct debit, if you don’t already have one set up for future payments. 

We’ll arrange for gas and electric safety checks to be done on the Monday you move. You must allow our contractors access to carry out these checks.

If you move without written permission, you risk making you and your family homeless. Both you and the person that had moved into your home would become illegal occupants. You would also have no right to move back to your current home as you would have breached the tenancy of that property by giving up possession.

All landlords have to agree to the exchange and have provided a decision in writing. All paperwork must be signed before any move can take place. All landlords must have availability on the proposed assignment date to carry out safety checks; Amplius would need at least 10 working days to book in these checks, therefore you may need to be flexible with your dates. At this point you can liaise with all exchange partners to agree a suitable date to move.

New tenancies will always start on a Monday.

There are certain criteria to enable you to have the Right to Buy (RTB) or Right to Acquire (RTA) a property. The right you have on your current home may not be the same as your new home. By mutual exchanging, you will lose your RTB, though you may instead have RTA.

The details of the RTB or RTA of your current home can be found in your tenancy agreement, or you can contact [email protected] for help. If not, contact your current landlord who can advise you.

As part of the mutual exchange process we will look at these rights and update the Property Information page on the property you are moving into.