Moving to another Habinteg home? Here’s what to expect | Tenant news

If you’re thinking about transferring to another Habinteg home, it’s helpful to know what standards we follow when preparing an empty property.

We’ve recently updated these standards to make every move within our network as smooth and stress-free as possible, ensuring your new home is clean, safe, and ready to live in.

Here’s what you can expect from our empty homes and lettings service.

Mutual exchange

Our tenants can use the mutual exchange system to transfer to another home.

A mutual exchange is when you swap homes with another Habinteg tenant or with someone who lives in council housing, or a property run by a different housing association.

To swap, you must:

• Hold the legal right to make an application to exchange (check your tenancy agreement to be sure)
•  Find someone suitable to swap with
• Get written permission from your landlords
• Complete the legal paperwork before your move.

Swapping homes without permission or the necessary documents puts you and the person you’re swapping with at risk of eviction.

We understand that some applicants might need extra support, so, if you’re in need of help, we can guide you through the process.

Preparing your new home

Before you move into another Habinteg property, your new home will be cleaned and cleared so you can settle in comfortably. We’ll provide two keys for every lockable door and check all internal doors and windows to ensure they’re secure and in good condition.

The bathroom and kitchen will be ready to use, with new toilet seats and plugs in sinks. We check plumbing and fixtures to prevent leaks or blockages. Meter readings for utilities will be taken and shared with you to help with your bills.

For your safety and to save energy, we install low-energy bulbs and test or replace smoke alarms as needed. You’ll receive a current energy efficiency certificate. If your home has gas, we carry out a safety check and provide a certificate. Electrical systems are also checked, and you’ll get a copy of that certificate.

While we usually don’t decorate empty homes, we may help with some decorating costs if needed.

Outside, gardens will be cleared of rubbish, with grass and hedges trimmed to keep the area neat. We also check the property’s structure, including garages, outbuildings, and canopies, to ensure everything is safe and secure.

Maintaining standards

To make sure we meet our service standards, we inspect all work carried out on the property once it is ready.

Satisfaction surveys are also collected from new tenants by an external provider to understand how well we are doing. We also invite tenants on our Scrutiny Panel to be involved in reviewing our services regularly.

If you’re thinking about swapping homes, visit www.habinteg.org.uk/moving-home.

For more information about our service standards, please visit www.habinteg.org.uk/servicestandards.

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