| Mutual Swap FAQs |
Mutual Home Swap Exchange Scheme Frequently Asked Questions
Guests are no longer permitted to view the exchange advert titles,
guests will need to register as a free or supporting member and add
their own exchange advert in order to view the thousands of adverts we
have on offer. Our adverts are not "old content" we delete old adverts!
There are no hidden catches this is a genuine free exchange forum.
1. What is a Mutual Home Swap?Quick Answer: An exchange of homes between two households living in social housing.A mutual home swap is a property exchange within the United Kingdom, Council and Housing Association secure and assured tenants have the right to exchange their homes to suitable homes for them and their families. You will need permission from your Landlords in writing before you can exchange. 2. How long does it take to Exchange?Quick Answer: 42 days or lessDepending on your exchange, how many parties are involved and whether you are moving long distance or moving within the local area, it can take up to 42 days for your landlords to agree on your exchange and give you permission to move from the day all parties involved hand in their mutual exchange application forms. 3. I have rent arrears can I still exchange?Quick Answer: NoTenants must pay all of their rent including any arrears before a mutual exchange swap can be permitted. 4. Is it free to exchange?Quick Answer: Yes it is.Your council or housing association landlord will not charge you’re for processing your mutual exchange swap application forms. However they will not pay for your removal expenses. 5. Can I pay someone to exchange with me?Quick Answer: NoDo not offer any rewards or cash incentives in return for an exchange. It is illegal and you and your family could be evicted from your property by your council or housing association. 6. Can i give someone gifts/or goods to exchange with me?Quick Answer: NoDo not offer any rewards or cash incentives in return for an exchange. It is illegal and you and your family could be evicted from your property by your council or housing association. 7. Will my landlord pay for my removal expenses?Quick Answer: NoYou will need to arrange to pay for your own removal expenses, the cheapest option for families on a low income is self drive 7.5 ton lorries which can be driven on a full UK driving Licence which you must have held for a minimum of 12 months. 8. Can exchanges can be refused?Quick Answer: Yes
9. How To Tell If Your Membership Is Not Validated?Quick Answer: View the statistics at the bottom of the board username =greyGo to the bottom of the board if you see your username in pale grey you have still not clicked on your validation email that was sent to the email address you registered with Dont forget to check your junkmail filter, if you have not recieved one leave a message on the support board and we will send you one..........Validating members are not full members and have very limited access to this forum
10. Supporting Member V Free Member - Whats The Difference?Quick Answer: Supporting members have more facilties to use
11. Emailing Members - Suspicous MailQuick Answer: We never ask for passwords,banking or personal details or add attachments
The Admin team within the forum, will NEVER send you either an email or a PM requesting your personal details such as passwords, home addresses, telephone numbers, banking and paypal details.
12. How To I Alter The Title Of My Advert?Quick Answer: You can not. Leave a request on the support board
Leave a message on the general support board, title it amend my title and a member of the team will make the changes for you The format of the title must be the same as the rest of the forum
Forum Title Format Exchange Number of Bedrooms Property Type Your Area 1st part of postcode Wanted Number of bedrooms Property Type and areas considered/wanted We will not allow titles such as: Examples: urgent must live by the sea, We want to downsize, need another bedroom, Help! Need a move etc etc
13. How Do I Change My Username?Quick Answer: Leave a request on the support board
Leave a message on the general support board, making sure you have correctly spelt it and add any capital letters to it that you require.
14. How Do I Delete My Membership Account?Quick Answer: Leave a message on the support board
Found your exchange? No longer looking? leave a message on support board, requesting membership deletion and an administrator will do this for you asap.. Once the account has been deleted your details will also be completely removed from the database and your adverts and all your replies as well.
15. How Do I Delete My Advert?Quick Answer: Free members Can not Supporting Members read on
Free members can not deleted their adverts or replies, they must make a request on the support board and a moderator will do this.
Supporting members can delete their own adverts and replies no one elses!Please use the delete button below your advert.
16. Why Do I Get An Error When Trying To Add An Advert To A BoardQuick Anwer: All adverts must be added to the submission board
Members can not add adverts directly to English Counties, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, 3+ Swaps or disabled and adapted boards
Members must add adverts to the new and replacement advert approvals board which is above all of the other forum boards (1st category 1st board) Members that try to add adverts to other boards will receive an error message.
17. How Do I Add A Friend To My Friends List?Quick Answer: Click on member name & choose option in the drop menu
Go to the members advert or their reply and click on their username.A drop menu will appear below the name, choose the option to add new friend The admin team can not add friends to your list for you, please do not ask them too.
18. I Cant Send A Pm? - Members Inbox DisabledQuick Answer: Leave a message on their advert thread
Some members do decide to disabled receiving and sending pm messages.The only way free members can make contact with members that choose to do this is by leaving a reply on the members advert thread Supporting members can however view the members profile and choose the option to send an email (if this is enabled by the member) The admin team can not contact the member on your behalf, members that disabled their pm service are unlikely to find their exchange easily.
19. I Cant Send A Pm? - Members Inbox FullQuick Answer: Leave a message on their advert to tell them!
If you have tried to send a personal message to a member but received the error code inbox is full or disabled, add a message to the members advert thread to tell them you have been trying to contact them.The admin team can not send messages on your behalf so please do not ask them to do so.
20. I Cant View Profiles?Quick Answer: Only supporting members can view them
Free members can no longer view profiles, this is an extra facilty provided to supporting members only.This will not affect you in your search for an exchange as all free members can add adverts, reply to an unlimited number of adverts and send and receive personal messages.
21. I Want To Reply To An Advert In Archives?Quick Answer: You can only send pm's
22. What Is My Assistant? Where Is It?Quick Answer: Quick way to view your last 10 posts!
My assistant can be found above all the forum boards in the navigation on the right hand side below the main site banner, along with my controls, view new posts, my friends, my messages
23. I Cant Send Pm's - Validating MemberQuick Answer: Go to statistics bottom board Full Members=Black - Validating Member Grey
Go to the bottom of the board if you see your username in pale grey you have still not clicked on your validation email that was sent to the email address you registered with Dont forget to check your junkmail filter, if you have not recieved one leave a message on the support board and we will send you one..........Validating members are not full members and have very limited access to this forum
24. I Want To Help Keep This Site Open? Supporting MembershipQuick Answer: Go to my controls, click on purchased paid subscriptions
Supporting Membership
Go to your my controls in the navigation bar at the top of the forum, click on it and within its left hand menu go to purchase paid subscriptions we only use a third party for all payments and have absolutley no access to your banking details.When your subscription is due to run out you will be sent a reminder, it is then up to you whether you subscribe again or not, if you decide not too you account will return to free member status.
25. Replying To An AdvertiserQuick Answer: Use Reply button right hand side below adverts
To offer another member your property for exchange you need to leave a reply on their advertisement.
Below every member advertisement you will see a reply button on the right hand side next to the quote button. Click on the reply button, add your text and click send, the reply will then be listed on that advert thread for them to see.
26. I Dont Know How To Use Pm's - Personal MessagesQuick Answer: Click on a members name and choose send message
Recieving Messages
You may of been sent a notification to your inbox to say you have a new message, if so log into the forum and at the top you will see a horizontal bar with several navigation links " Mo Controls" "My Assistant" "My Messages" you have two options you can either go directly to my messages or go via my controls and within there you will see your inbox and outbox once you have read the information, we suggest that you reply to the member straight away and save the information and their username on a notepad Sending Messages Once you have found an advertisement within the forum that you like the sound of, click on the members username to the left of the advert and a drop down box will appear choose the option to send message, fill out your message and click on the send button.
27. Where Is My Control Panel?Quick Answer: Top of the forum above the boards in the navigation
Your control panel is at the top of the forum above all of the boards, and just below the main site banner on the right hand side of the page My Control panel can be found within the navigation, along with View New Posts, My Assistant, My Friends and New Messages
28. Where Do I Add My Exchange Advert?Quick Answer: 1st board in the forum
Your advert must be added to the submission board, which is the 1st board in the forum.
Members can not add exchange adverts directly to any of the exchange boards! Once you have added your advert it will be checked and moved by a member of the team to the correct board. We have the following categories: * New Advert and Replacement Advert Approvals Board - Add All adverts here * Featured Exchange Adverts - Supporting Membership Adverts - Free members can reply to these. * England by County * Scotland by County * Wales by County * Northern Ireland by County * Miscellaneous boards * Local Information * Member Support * Delete my account i have moved/no longer wish to move * Site News
29. My membership has been suspended. Why?Quick Answer: Either not posting an exchange advert or causing trouble in the forum.
All members are expected to add one advert to the submission board at the top of the forum above all other boards upon joining. Members that do not may find after a warning their account suspended.
Members that cause problems within the forum, are also checked and while we are making our checks we may suspend your account, reasons can include calling a member a timewaster, provoking or harrassment, spamming via PM.
30. How do i get a picture icon (Avatar) next to my username?Quick Answer: My control panel and choose avatar setting
All of our members are entitled to use our Avatars, we have around 500 to choose from, you can not upload one from your computer you must use ours! To do so scroll to the top of the forum click on my controls in the left hand menu scroll down to edit avatar settings and make your choice from all of the available categories. Click the radio circle button next to the one you want and save. You can change this anytime you wish to a new avatar.
31. Contact Details How to i give someone my tel number or email address?Quick Answer: Send them a Personal Message or an Email with the details in
32. Still Cant find the Answer?First Check out the help files in the forum still no answer? then contact an administrator. If you can not find the answer you are looking for please contact us by PM (registered members only) This section of the website is continuously developing as our members ask questions, so keep checking back, for more information.
We no longer offer email support, due to our success as we do not have the time to offer this service for free any longer.
Written by Council-exchange.org - Do not use this content or any of our FAQ questions within other publications including websites |