Grounds for refusing a mutual exchange

Your landlord will inform you in writing why the home swap has been turned down. Your landlord can only refuse a mutual exchange on certain grounds, and they must give you clear reasons as to why the mutual exchange has been refused.

Check the reason given for refusal carefully, they might have made a mistake and it could be worthwhile appealing the decision. Your Housing Officer may be able to help you. It could be something simple for you to put right, in order for them to approve the mutual exchange so your home swap can go ahead.

There are the only a few reasons or grounds for refusing a mutual exchange.

A Notice of Seeking Possession has been served or there is a Possession Order on the property

The property is too big or small for the family wishing to move into it.

If any member of your household has behaved in an anti-social way, and action including Possession proceedings, injunctions, anti-social behaviour orders or a demotion orders against them are in place or are been sought.

The landlord is a charity and the proposed new tenants moving into the property would conflict with the objects of the charity.

The property (a) has been adapted or has features that make it suitable for disabled person (b) is a property owned by a landlord which lets properties to particularly vulnerable people or (c) the property is for people with special needs (supported housing) and if the mutual exchange took place there would no longer be such a person living in the property.

The property is the subject of a management agreement where the manager is a Housing Association and there are specific arrangements in place that the proposed new tenant is not willing to participate in.

The property is part of or is within a building which, is held by the landlord mainly for purposes other than housing, consists mainly of accommodation other than housing or is situated in a cemetery, and was let to the (current) tenant being in the employment of the landlord, local authority, anew town corporation, a housing action trust, the Development Board for Rural Wales, an urban development corporation, or the governors of an aided school. Also know as a tied property.