Mutual Exchanges - The Process

(My Original Blog Post: http://ping.fm/uOZyd)
It can take anything from within the 42 days prescribed by social housing landlords to several months or even years. The information about the mutual exchange has been received by your housing department for your housing officer to check their records about your tenancy. They will be making sure that you are a secured tenant, if your landlord is a local borough council, or if you are an assured tenant, if your landlord is a housing association or charitable housing trust. The housing officer will also make sure that there are no rent arrears on the current tenants account and no history on file of anti social behaviour. If any one of these checks proves to be in the negative the mutual exchange may be refused. Where there are rent arrears a refusal or a conditional approval may be granted. The condition of approval being that the exchange can occur once the arrears are paid in full. The housing officer will also arrange to visit their tenant's property to ensure that there is no damage to the property which will also be grounds for refusing the exchange until repairs are made.