Moving Home

This section contains information about

 

• Ending your tenancy
• Applying for a transfer
• Applying for re-housing with other landlords
• Mutual Exchanges (swapping homes)

 

Ending your tenancy 

The information below is given as general advice about ending your tenancy and you should also refer to the relevant clauses in your Tenancy Agreement.

 

To end your tenancy you will need to give the Association a minimum of four weeks notice in writing either delivered to our Esher office or given to a member of staff. The notice period will begin on the day that we receive your written notice. Prior to your tenancy ending you should:

 

• Allow access for us to undertake an inspection of your home 
• Repair any damage that you are responsible for (You may be recharged for any damage we have to repair)

• Fix any holes in walls and leave decorations in a reasonable condition 
• Leave the property and garden in a clean and tidy condition 
• Ensure your rent account is up to date
• Provide us with a forwarding address
• Inform Council Tax / Housing Benefit and take utility meter readings
• Arrange to return all the property keys (including window and store locks) to us on a specific day    

 

If you do not return your property keys to us by mid-day on the day your tenancy terminates we may change the locks and recharge you for this cost. You will continue to be charged rent until the keys have been received by us or a lock change undertaken. If the property is not left in a clean and tidy condition or possessions are left inside that we have to dispose of, we may charge you what it costs us to do the work on your behalf.   

 

Please contact us for more information or advice about ending your tenancy. 

 

Applying for a transfer 

 

Full details of our rented housing stock can be found in the To Rent option within the Our Homes section of this website. If you are a tenant with us and wish to apply for a transfer to another RSMHA or FHT property please contact your senior housing officer for more information.

 

• Karen Woolton (RSMHA properties)  01372 461440  kwoolton@rsmha.org.uk
• Elaine Gregory (FHT & Alstonfields)  01372 461440  egregory@rsmha.org.uk

 

They will be able to advise you how to make an application and also about the likely availability of suitable vacancies in your area of choice in the future. Any transfer application will be considered in line with our Lettings policy.

 

Applying for re-housing with other landlords  

  

If you are a tenant with us and wish to move to a new home with another social housing provider elsewhere you will need to apply to the local authority that administers the housing waiting list for your area of choice and/or apply direct to the other landlord.

 

Our staff are happy to provide you with more information and advice about how to make an application for re-housing with another landlord.     

 

Mutual Exchanges (swapping homes)

  

If you are a tenant with our Association you have the right to exchange your home (and your tenancy) with another tenant. The other tenant can be a tenant with RSMHA or FHT, or a tenant with another housing association or with a council.

 

RSMHA has joined HomeSwapper, an online mutual exchange service which is now the UK’s largest register of tenants actively looking to swap home. Registration on www.HomeSwapper.co.uk is free for our residents and allows you to search for suitable exchange matches for the location and size of home of your choice.     

 

When you find someone to swap your home with you will then need to apply to us in writing to seek formal permission for the exchange to go ahead before you move. The other tenant will need to apply to their landlord aswell.

 

Upon receipt of your application we will arrange to inspect your property. We have a maximum of 42 days to consider your request for an exchange and will not refuse your application without good reason.

 

Reasons for refusing an exchange include:

 

• Either tenant is under a Notice of Seeking Possession or legal proceedings have begun
• Either property is adapted or designed to help a disabled tenant and the new tenant does not require this
• Either property is much too large or too small for either tenant  

 

Where either tenant owes arrears of rent, we may give approval to exchange, but only on condition that the whole debt is repaid before the exchange can actually take place.

 

Please contact us for more information and advice about mutual exchanges.