Can I swap my council house?

Most secure council tenants and many assured housing-association tenants have the right to exchange. You'll usually need to be up to date with your rent and have no serious tenancy breaches. HousingBase checks your eligibility as you set up your profile.

How does a three-way or multi-way swap work?

When no direct swap exists, three or more households move in a loop — you move into theirs, they move into another household's, and so on. HousingBase finds these multi-way mutual exchanges automatically, so you can match even when a straight swap isn't possible.

The site is completely free for tenants to list, match and move. Our only paid product is featured placement — postcode-targeted ads for people who want their listing seen first in an area.

Do I need my landlord's permission to swap homes?

Yes. Every mutual exchange needs written consent from both landlords. Under the Housing Act 1985 they can only refuse on specific grounds, and HousingBase prepares the paperwork to make approval as smooth as possible.

How is HousingBase different from other swap sites?

HousingBase is built to be faster, friendlier and clearer — with smart match scores, automatic multi-way swaps and guided applications instead of endless scrolling. It's a modern way to find a council or housing-association swap.

Which areas does it cover?

HousingBase works with homes from every UK council and housing association, so you can search for a council house swap in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Liverpool, Sheffield and right across the country.

Is my information safe?

Yes. Profiles are ID-verified and all messaging happens privately in-app, so you never have to share your phone number or email to start a conversation about a swap.

Swap your council or housing-association home, the modern way.

HousingBase is the UK home-swap platform that matches you for a mutual exchange for direct swaps, three-way swaps and multi-way chains so you can move closer to work, family or a better school.

Matching engine — running

ArrowsMap

12,400+

Homes listed for exchange

3,200+

Mutual exchanges started

90+

Councils & associations

6 wks

Average time to match

Built to work with every UK council and housing association

Riverside Homes

City Council

Borough Housing

Metro HA

Greenfields Trust

Coastline

London

Manchester

Birmingham

Leeds

Liverpool

Sheffield

Homes finding their match — tap a home to swap it.

How our matching actually works

No guesswork and no black box — just transparent scoring plus chain-finding that a person could never do by hand.

Score every candidate

Each possible home is scored on the things you actually chose — amenities you need (50%), location and travel radius (35%) and bedroom size (15%) — so the best fits rise to the top.

Find direct swaps

We first look for clean two-way matches where both tenants want what the other has, and surface them in real time as new homes join.

Detect multi-way chains

When no direct swap exists, the engine searches for 3- and 4-way chains where everyone moves at once — the matches almost impossible to find manually.

Every match is a recommendation — your council still approves each swap under the Housing Act 1985.

Why tenants switch

The hunt shouldn't be harder than the move.

Most council house swaps still happen through clunky sites and Facebook groups. HousingBase replaces the scrolling with smart matching.

The old way

Endless Facebook groups and word of mouth
Old tools that make searching harder than it should be
Scrolling hundreds of listings that don't fit
No idea who's actually a genuine match

The HousingBase way

One clean profile with clear photos
Smart matches, ranked just for you
Multi-way swaps found automatically
Guided, landlord-ready applications

How a mutual exchange works

From stuck to settled in four steps.

List your home

Add photos, bedrooms, your area and exactly the swap you're looking for.

Get matched

We rank direct matches and find multi-way exchange chains automatically.

Chat safely

Verified, in-app messaging. No need to share your phone number.

Apply with confidence

We prepare the mutual-exchange paperwork and guide you through landlord approval.

No direct match? You can still move.

Often you want the Okafors' home, the Okafors want Dani's, and Dani wants yours. Spotting that by hand is almost impossible. HousingBase finds these three-way and multi-way mutual exchanges automatically — so everyone lands the home they want.

Built for real life, not just listings.

Smart match score

Every home ranked on how well it fits what you actually need.

Multi-way swaps

Automatic 3-way, 4-way and longer exchange chains — not just direct.

School & commute filters

Filter by school catchment and travel time to work.

Area insights

Transport, amenities and the feel of a neighbourhood.

Verified & safe

ID-checked profiles and private, in-app messaging.

Adaptations filter

Find or flag step-free access, wet rooms and ground-floor homes.

From people who moved

Real swaps, real moves.

We found a three-way swap in five weeks and moved closer to my daughter's school. I'd given up on the old site.

Aisha M.

Council tenant · Leeds

Matched with a family who wanted exactly our flat. The in-app chat made it feel safe the whole way through.

Daniel & Priya

Housing-association tenants · Bristol

A straight swap was never going to happen for a bungalow. The multi-way match is what finally got us moving.

Margaret T.

Council tenant · Coventry

Illustrative testimonials shown in this preview.

Can you swap?

60-second eligibility check

Most secure social tenants have the Right to Exchange. Answer four quick questions to see where you stand.

I'm a council or housing-association tenant

YesNo

My tenancy is secure, assured or flexible (not a starter/introductory tenancy)

YesNo

My rent account is up to date

YesNo

There's no notice seeking possession against me

YesNo

Your move, tracked

From match to keys

A clear checklist and live landlord-consent tracker so nobody loses track of the paperwork.

Moving checklist33%

Create your profile & list your home

Find and agree a swap

Both tenants apply to their landlords

Landlord checks (rent account, condition, tenancy type)

Written consent from both landlords

Sign the deed of assignment & swap keys

Landlord consent

Your landlordIn review

Their landlordNot started

Refusals are only allowed on specific legal grounds (Schedule 3, Housing Act 1985). We prepare the paperwork for both landlords.

Swap-market insights

Where people want to move

Live demand across the network — unique to swapping, and a great reason to feature your listing in a high-demand area.

Most-wanted areas this month

Manchester

92% demand

Leeds

84% demand

Birmingham

76% demand

Bristol

68% demand

Sheffield

61% demand

London (East)

57% demand

Illustrative demand index (people wanting to move in vs out).

Free forever for tenants

Everything for tenants is free. Always.

Finding matches, connecting, messaging and getting verified are all free — and always will be. We're funded by local business adverts and by council partnerships, never by charging tenants.

Free for movers

Always free for tenants

£0forever

Unlimited live matches
Direct & multi-way swap chains
Connect & message your matches
Verified mover badge
Filters, saved searches & alerts
Paperwork & approval help

HOW WE EARN

Sort the move in one place

Optional extras from trusted partners — set up the essentials for your new home. (A referral revenue stream alongside featured ads.)

Removals

Compare vetted local movers

Broadband

Switch & save at your new place

Contents insurance

Cover from day one

Energy

Set up gas & electric

Settling in

Find a trusted local pro

Moving in or out? Tell us what you need and we'll find a vetted local pro and ask them to contact you. Free for you — tradespeople pay us for the referral.

Are you a trade? Get referred jobs →

What do you need?

I agree HousingBase can share these details with a vetted tradesperson so they can contact me with a quote. (required)

Free for you. Your request comes straight to our team — we find a vetted local pro and refer them, and we only share your details with that pro.

From the blog

Advice on mutual exchange, city by city

Practical guides on how swaps actually work — written for the questions tenants are searching for.

Questions, answered

Mutual exchange FAQs

A mutual exchange — also called a council house swap or home swap — is when two or more social housing tenants swap their homes. It's the main way secure and assured tenants move between council and housing-association properties across the UK.

Your next home is someone else's "I'd love to leave."

List your property in minutes and start finding your mutual exchange — it\u2019s completely free for tenants.