We are experiencing an unprecedented demand for mutual exchanges
If you’ve submitted an application, you will receive a decision in principle within 42 days. Your move will be dependent on completing all checks required by all parties and these could take up to six months to complete.
If you have an assured, secure or fixed term tenancy with us, you may be able to swap your home with another social housing resident.
From Tuesday 6 February, all new applications for mutual exchange will need to be done through HomeSwapper.
Applied for a mutual exchange before 6 February? Please read the information under Applications before 6 February 2024 below.
HomeSwapper 
is an online mutual exchange service which lets you advertise your property and find someone to swap with. It’s free to use for Sovereign customers.
If you haven’t found a swap partner yet:
- Register your details on HomeSwapper and wait to receive messages from interested parties. Think about the affordability of homes you're interested in.
- When you find a swap partner, on your dashboard, click the Found a swap? button. You’ll see a new dashboard, which shows you what stage you’re at in your mutual exchange.
- Once information from all parties has been added, our Mutual Exchange team will get an alert to start the process.
- They’ll then let you know within 42 days if your exchange has been provisionally approved. If it has, it can take up to six months to move. Please read our Are you mutual exchange ready? tab below for tips.
All communication from us will be done through your account on HomeSwapper and visa versa – you can message us directly in your account and we will come back to you.
If you have found a swap partner and are ready to submit an application, you will need to register on HomeSwapper and follow all of the steps above.
Not digitally-confident? Call our Customer Service team on 0300 5000 926 and they will put you in touch with one of the Mutual Exchange team to explain how they can help.
Before applying to all of the landlords for approval to exchange, check the following applies:
- I have a secure, assured or fixed term tenancy.
- My rent account is clear.
- I don’t owe any former rent, court costs or recharges.
- There’s no active Notice of Intention to Begin Proceedings for Possession of a Property, Notice Seeking Possession, or court order against my tenancy.
- There are no repairs outstanding that I haven’t reported.
- My home and garden are in a clean, tidy and good condition.
- The people applying to move into my home are suitable for it.
If you applied for an exchange on or before 6 February, you will likely have submitted a paper form attached to our Mutual Exchange email address – mutualexchangecoordinators@sovereign.org.uk.
Your exchange will be processed outside of HomeSwapper and the Mutual Exchange team will be in touch by email or phone.
Aside from the way your application is processed, everything else is the same.
You will need to have provided us information from all swap partners before we can review your application and let you know if it’s been provisionally approved.
If it has, it can take up to six months to move. Please read our Are you mutual exchange ready? tab above for tips.