Moving Home

Mutual Exchange

You can exchange with another Spitalfields HA tenant or tenant from another housing association or local authority. This is an effective way of arranging your own move. You don’t have to go on a waiting list and you don’t have to wait for a vacancy. The association has a mutual exchange register at its reception desk, which contains details of all residents looking for an exchange partner. The local authority also has a mutual exchange section in East End Life/Homeseekers.

In certain circumstances the local authority may also have a duty to re-house you in accordance with statutory duties that cover homelessness. Statutory legislation exists to protect people who cannot remain in their homes due to extreme circumstances. If you are homeless, threatened with homelessness or cannot remain in your home due to fear of violence or other special circumstances, the local authority may have a duty in law to assist you. For further information please contact LBTH Homeless Services on 0207 364 5000.

Please note that you are not permitted to exchange with tenants of a private landlord. In order to exchange you must get our permission and your exchange partner must get their landlord’s permission before you arrange to swap. Residents with an Assured Shorthold Tenancy [AST] do not have the right to mutual exchange.

Home ownership

If you are a secure tenants you have the Right To Buy [RTB] your property. Under this scheme you can buy your property at a discount from that of its market value. The longer you have been living at the property the bigger the discount to which you will be ntitled. The maximum discount you can get is £16,000.

Assured and Assured Shorthold tentants do not have the right to buy.
Assured tenants, however, along with some secure tenants do have the Right To Acquire, which means they can buy their property. This scheme is only open to certain types of qualifying property and there are other restrictions that apply.

Assured and secure tenants can also take advantage of the Voluntary Purchase Grant [VPG] scheme. This scheme allows you to purchase your own property, although the opportunity to take advantage of the scheme depends on the funding available.

Assured and secure tenants can also apply for the Homebuy Scheme and Shared Ownership All residents are advised that getting rehoused in London Boroughs can be particularly difficult because the demand for social housing outweighs the supply. Residents are therefore advised to consider all the options when trying to move.

Home ownership

Housing mobility service is changing. Please click the following link to get further information on recent changes in HOUSING MOBILITY SERVICES:

New Mobility Services