Changes in circumstances

If you wish to change your own name on your tenancy, then you need supply three documents:

• A letter requesting a name change
• A completed application form,  and
• a marriage certificate, utility bill or evidence of deed poll

In some instances, you can share responsibility for your tenancy by changing it from a sole tenancy to a joint one.  This is known as assignment.  An application to assign a joint tenancy must be agreed by your Housing Officer.

If your tenancy started before 1 April 2012 you can assign your tenancy to your:

• spouse or civil partner, as long as they are living with you
• cohabiting partner or another member of your family (this includes children, parents, siblings and most other close relatives), as long that person has been living with you for at least one year

If your tenancy started on or after 1 April 2012 you can assign your tenancy to:

• your spouse or civil partner.  Also to a cohabiting partner, who has been living with you for at least one year. 

When changing your tenancy from ‘sole’ to ‘joint’, in addition to granting joint responsibility, you are also granting the ‘right of succession’.

The right of succession can only be granted once. 

Contact your Housing Officer for more information.

If you want to read the small print then please see our ‘Tenancy Management Policy’.

If you are a secure tenant you can exchange your home with another council or housing association tenant.  When you exchange your home you’ll also be swapping your rights for those of the other tenant so it’s useful to check:

• The terms and conditions of their tenancy
• Their security of tenure -  you may find you would have to swap your secure tenancy for a fixed term tenancy
• The cost of their rent - you may find you would be paying more than you currently do and you need to be able to pay for the difference
• The conditions of the home you are exchanging into, check what repairs works, if any, are being carried out by your new landlord

What is a mutual exchange?

A mutual exchange is a home swap between two or more social housing tenants. This can be for a number of reasons, but often it can be due to needing more space (or sometimes less), moving for work or to be closer to family. A mutual exchange is a great alternative for tenants who don’t have a high enough priority or banding to be able to access a home through the normal allocation process. 

Am I eligible to swap?

You will need to be a council housing tenant and hold a secure tenancy to have the right to mutually exchange. If you have an introductory tenancy, you will not be eligible to swap. It is always good to contact your Housing Officer to find out what type of tenancy you have and if you are allowed to swap homes before you start looking. 

Do I have to swap locally?

Tenants can swap homes with any other social housing tenant that lives anywhere in the UK as long they have the right to mutual exchange. It’s important to note, however, that you won’t be able to swap with a private housing tenant. 

Can home swaps involve more than one property?

Yes, they can.  You can either exchange homes with one tenant, known as a direct exchange, or you could try and find a multi-way house exchange.  A multi-way exchange involves more than two households.  For example, Household A wants to move to Household B; Household B wants to move to Household C; and Household C wants to move to Household A. 

This means that although someone might not want to move into your home, there may be a property out there that they do want to live in, and whose current tenants want to move to your home. 

How do I find properties to swap to?

Stroud District Council are members of HomeSwapper who make searching for exchanges, communicating with other social housing tenants and arranging viewings, simple. Once you have found another tenant who is eligible to exchange, who lives in the UK, and wants to live in your home, you can progress the mutual exchange.

HomeSwapper has more than 200,000 adverts, is user-friendly and Stroud District Council tenants do not need to pay for this service as we are members of the scheme. 

How do I apply for a mutual exchange

If you find someone to exchange with, you will need to complete an application form using ‘Swaptracker’ in order to apply for permission.  Swaptracker is part of the Homeswapper service and allows you to apply and keep track of progress with your application.

If you already have a Homeswapper account, you can log into this and from the dashboard, click on the ‘Apply’ button in the Find a Swap box.

If you do not have a Homeswapper account, please contact your Housing Officer who will be able to email you a link to sign up.

Once you have set up an account you will be able to find out more information on how to use Swaptracker under the Help and Support section.

You will also need to pay for the landlord safety checks and any costs involved in your move.

For further advice on mutual exchanges and how to register on Homeswapper, please contact your Housing Officer. 

To end your tenancy, there are several things that you must do. If all these things are not done then it may cost you money:

• Give four weeks' written notice. You can end your tenancy by giving four weeks’ written notice that ends on a Monday. A termination form (from your Housing Officer) or letter must be signed by you or, if you are a joint tenant, at least one (but preferably both) of you. Even if only one joint tenant signs the form, this will still end the tenancy for both joint tenants. 
• Allow our staff to inspect the property. During the four-week notice period you must allow our staff to inspect the property. We will tell you about any work that you need to do before you leave. If this work is not carried out, we will do the work and charge you our costs.
• Clear all items from the property. When your tenancy ends you must clear the inside and outside of the property of all items, including floor coverings, unless we have agreed that you can leave them. If you leave items in the property without our permission, we will recharge you for clearing the inside and outside of the property.
• Return the keys. On the day your tenancy ends you must return all keys to us, at Ebley Mill, Stroud, by noon at the latest. If you do not return the keys on time, we will charge you an extra week’s rent for each week, or part week, until they are returned. Please make sure that you get a receipt for the returned keys.  Do not send the keys in by post. 

Please leave the property clean and tidy, make sure that gas and electricity meters have been read and supplies have been turned off. Please also make sure that the property is left secure. 

If you want to end your joint tenancy, you should contact your Housing Officer first. If you or your partner ends the tenancy, this will terminate the tenancy for both of you.

If there has been a relationship breakdown you may wish to contact our Housing Advice team or alternatively Shelter or the Citizens' Advice Bureau for housing advice.

The right for someone to inherit your tenancy when you die is known as succession and can only be used once.

Succession to a council tenancy depends on:

• Your relationship with the tenant
• The type of tenancy they had
• When the tenancy started

Contact your Housing Officer to discuss your circumstances and find out where you stand.

If a tenant (sole or joint) has died, you need to contact the Housing Officer as soon as possible. We do understand that the death of a friend or relative is a difficult time, but rent will be due for the property until their tenancy ends. (The tenancy does not end on the date of death).

If the tenant was receiving Housing Benefit then this ceases on the date of death, so full rent becomes payable during the termination period. Rent charges will be taken from the tenant’s estate and not directly from yourself.

You can register the tenant’s death with the ‘Tell Us Once’ service and they will notify us.  If you do not use the ‘Tell Us Once' service, please notify our Housing Benefit Section on 01453 754054 and or email benefit.services@stroud.gov.uk