What the service is
If you live in a council house, you and another tenant could apply to swap homes. This is called a ‘house exchange'.
The other home can be in Renfrewshire or another council area in the UK.
By swapping homes, you may be able to get the kind of house you want or move to another area without having to wait on a council housing waiting list.
Who can apply
To apply for a house exchange, you must be a:
- council tenant (live in a home owned by Renfrewshire Council)
- Scottish Secure tenant – check your tenancy agreement or ask us if you’re not sure.
Before you apply
How it works
Renfrewshire Council is a member of an organisation called House Exchange.
Once you create an account on the House Exchange website, you can:
- see what other council homes are available in Renfrewshire and elsewhere in the UK
- add your own council home to the list of available homes
- contact people you’re interested in swapping homes with.
Once you and another tenant are in touch, you can arrange to view each other’s homes. You should make sure that you’re happy with the condition of the other home, as the landlord (either us or another council) will not be responsible for any decorating or any repairs that are the tenant’s responsibility.
If you both decide that you’d like to swap homes, then you should:
- submit a new council housing application
- contact your local housing office at Renfrewshire Council to apply for the swap.
You cannot apply for a house exchange if you have rent arrears. Find out more about council rent.
How to apply
1. Join the House Exchange website
First, you’ll need to join the House Exchange website to upload details about your home and to see what other homes are available.
Join the House Exchange website
2. Submit a new council housing application
You must have a ‘live’ council housing application with us – and the other council, if the person you want to swap homes with lives in another council area – before contacting your local housing office about a house exchange.
Submit a new council housing application
3. Contact your local housing office
Once you and another tenant have viewed each other’s homes and decided that you’d like to swap homes, you should contact your nearest local housing office using the details below and say that you’re interested in a house exchange.
Johnstone Neighbourhood Services
Paisley Neighbourhood Services
Renfrew Neighbourhood Services
After you apply
What we’ll do
Once you and the other tenant have contacted your local housing office about a house exchange, we’ll:
- inspect both houses (if you both live in Renfrewshire) to make sure they’re in good condition
- check that each house is big enough so that there will be no overcrowding for whoever will be moving in
- check that both tenants have no rent arrears and that there have been no problems with either tenancy
- ask for a tenancy reference, if a landlord other than Renfrewshire Council is involved.
If you want to swap homes with a tenant from another council area, we’ll contact the other council for information about that tenant. We’ll also give the other council information about your tenancy.
How long it’ll take
We’ll confirm that we’ve received your application within 10 days.
We’ll give you our decision with 1 month.
What happens if your application is approved
If we agree to the house exchange, we’ll contact you and the other tenant in writing to let you know. You’ll need to sign a new tenancy agreement for your new home and end the agreement for your current home.
You must not move in before the exchange has been approved and you’ve signed the new tenancy agreement.
What happens if your application is rejected
We’ll only reject an application if we have a good reason – for example, if the other tenant’s home does not suit your needs or either of you have rent arrears.
If you do not agree with our decision, you can challenge it by giving your reasons in writing to your local housing office. They’ll let you know of their updated decision within 14 days of receiving your appeal.