Swapping homes

You can swap your home with another council or housing association tenant either in Islington, London or anywhere in the United Kingdom. You do not need to be registered on the transfer list or have any points to participate. 

First you must find a suitable home to swap with.  Then you, and the tenant you are swapping with must fill in the mutual exchange application form and email or post this back to us.  We will then make sure that it is suitable and make our legal checks.  We will reply to you within 42 days of receiving the form.

Download the mutual exchange application form

Copies are also available from Islington Customer Centre, 222 Upper Street, London N1 1XR, or by calling the Housing Options team on 020 7527 4140.

We can refuse permission if:

•  The exchange would make a household overcrowded or your home would be too big 
•  If you owe rent or have broken your tenancy agreement in any other way.

Help with finding a home to swap with

There are several ways that you can find a mutual exchange partner to swap homes with: Smart Move, Home Swapper and word of mouth.

Smart Move Scheme

The Smart Move Scheme helps to match Islington tenants in overcrowded properties with other Islington tenants that have empty bedrooms (under occupiers), so that they can then swap (mutual exchange) homes with each other.

If the mutual exchange is agreed the under occupier may be eligible for an incentive grant of £750 per bedroom given up and help with removal costs. Please contact the mutual exchange officer on 020 7527 4140 to find out if you're eligible.

Register with HomeSwapper

The HomeSwapper website can help you to find an exchange partner for you to swap with anywhere in the United Kingdom. You do not have to be on the council’s transfer list.

You must first register with HomeSwapper on their website. HomeSwapper will search for possible new swaps for you. It saves these matches and you can log on at any time to see them. You can also arrange to be sent ‘match alerts’ by email or by text message to your mobile phone.

The website is for council or housing association tenants only. It is free for Islington council tenants but some housing association tenants may have to pay a small fee to register if their landlord is not part of the scheme.

You must contact the person who is living in the property you are interested in yourself to make viewing arrangements.

For more information 

Contact the mutual exchange officer on 020 7527 4140 and choose options 3 or email rehousing@islington.gov.uk. We are based at Islington Customer Centre, 222 Upper Street, London N1 1XR.