Exchanging Housing Executive and housing association homes
If you are already a tenant in a property owned by the Housing Executive or a housing association and want to move, you can apply for a transfer. You could also apply to 'exchange' homes with another tenant in social housing.
Transfers
You must complete a housing transfer application form. Your landlord will assess your housing needs and put you on the list for a transfer to accommodation owned by any participating landlords within your areas of choice.
The landlord won't usually consider your request for a transfer when:
- your existing tenancy is less than two years old
- you have arrears of four weeks or more
- the existing property is not in a good state of repair
- you owe recoverable charges for repairs
- you break a condition in your tenancy agreement
Exchanges
You should write to your landlord and ask for permission to do the exchange. Your landlord will then consider the request. Requests would normally be approved for secure tenants unless the landlord has good reasons not to do so. For example, a request that would lead to a home being overcrowded would not normally be approved.
You can get more information on transfers and exchanges by contacting the Housing Executive or local housing association:
HomeSwapper Scheme
Housing Executive and housing association tenants can use HomeSwapper, a free online service to look for homes that are available to exchange. Before moving, you need your landlord's permission.
The service is useful for tenants who:
- want a larger or smaller home
- want to move to a different area
- want a more suitable home and don't want to wait for a long time on the transfer list
- HomeSwapper