As a tenant of Carmarthenshire County Council, you have the right to swap your home with another tenant. You don’t have to go on the transfer waiting list or wait for an empty property. However, you do need to fill in a housing choice register application form, which is available on-line or from the customer service centres and our partner housing associations – Bro Myrddin, Cymdeithas Tai Cantref, Tai Cymdogaeth and Family Housing Association.
About mutual exchanges
If you are our tenant, you can exchange your home with another Carmarthenshire tenant, or a tenant of another housing association or another local authority.
Before you exchange, you must get our permission and your ‘exchange’ partner must get their landlord’s permission. There may be circumstances where we can refuse your request, such as if you are under a court order, or if the property would be too big for the new tenant.
Finding a mutual exchange
You can look at the mutual-exchange register at:
• the customer service centres in Ammanford, Carmarthen and Llanelli: and
• in the reception areas of our partner housing associations listed above.
You should look for properties which meet your needs, and make sure your property meets the needs of the person advertising. If you find a suitable property, you should contact the tenant listed to get more details.
If the area you want to move to is not showing any suitable properties, it means that we have no tenants from that area who want to move through the mutual-exchange register.
If you want to go ahead with a mutual exchange, you should fill in the mutual-exchange request form (you can get this from your local area office or housing association). Your housing officer will then contact the other person and their landlord, and if the exchange is agreed the paperwork will be prepared.
Before you agree to exchange, you should read the other tenant’s tenancy agreement carefully because you take on their tenancy and may take on different rights and responsibilities. If you are not sure about the conditions of your new tenancy, please ask your housing officer or get legal advice.
It is essential that you do not move until we have given our permission in writing. If you move without our permission, you will have to move back again.
You should visit the property which you are thinking of moving to, to look at the condition of the property and its fixtures and fittings. Remember that when you exchange, you accept the property as it is. We will only carry out repairs which are our responsibility.
Once the mutual exchange has been approved, both sides will have to agree in writing that they accept their property as it is.
If you exchange accommodation with the tenant of a housing association, you may not have the right to buy the property under the Housing Act 1980 and should contact the housing association for more information.