The York Council is easing its regulations on the mutual exchange of socially rented homes (sometimes referred to as “Direct exchanges”)

City of York Council currently uses the Homeswapper service to bring customers wanting to exchange together. This is a web based service which is free to tenants.

Customers can also find others wanting to exchange using less formal means such as adverts in shop windows and word of mouth.

Housing Services currently have 823 (at 07.05.13) tenants registered on Homeswapper with 104 of these under occupying with 155 being overcrowded.

There have been 141 exchanges in the last 12 months, 26 of which were previously under occupied and 50 previously overcrowded. Homeswapper indicates that this is above the national average of sites that use this software.

803 tenants now having their housing benefit entitlements reduced because they have unused bedrooms. Around 200 of these are actively seeking to “downsize”

The main changes seem to be that, non rent, debts may be disregarded when officials assess a tenant’s suitability to exchange.
This looks to be positive response as not only will those under-occupying homes have to pay a lower rent on a smaller property, but also overcrowded families will get a property which better meets their needs.

The decision was taken behind closed doors earlier this week.