Move house
However much you like the house you live in now, you may find, one day, that you need to move.
Maybe it's because your family is getting bigger, or maybe it's because your children have grown up and moved into houses of their own and you want somewhere smaller. Maybe you just fancy a change of scenery.
What are my options?
You can choose to move to another Fife Housing Association house or to a house elsewhere in the UK.
How do I move?
If you want to transfer to another Fife Housing Association house, ask for a transfer application form from our office.
You can also exchange houses with another Fife Housing Association tenant - provided that they are willing to swap, of course! The best way, unless you already know someone, is to advertise on the Fife Housing Association Exchange Register. This is a list of tenants wanting to move house.
Once you've found someone else who wants to exchange with you, you should both contact us for an application form.
What if I want to swap with someone who isn't a Fife Housing Association tenant?
No problem. Once you have found someone willing to swap from another housing association, housing organisation or local authority, you should contact us for an application form. The person you wish to swap with should contact their landlord for an application form. You can swap with anyone, anywhere in the UK.
Are there any conditions on swapping?
Yes. The following three conditions must be fulfilled in order for an exchange to go ahead:
- Both you and the other tenant have conducted your current tenancies in a satisfactory manner.
- The proposed exchange does not result in either of the homes becoming overcrowded
- The other tenant's landlord agrees to the exchange
How long will it take?
Now comes the waiting part! After we have received your application form, we will deal with your request and get back to you within a month. The good news is, if you hear nothing from us by that time, you can assume we have given you permission to exchange!
If permission is granted, you will have to accept your new home in the condition in which you find it.
If permission isn't granted, we will explain why. If you are unhappy with this decision, you can appeal.
My circumstances have changed.
Sometimes, of course, your house plans may involve other people. You may become a joint tenant, or take in lodgers, for example.
I want to share my home with another tenant
If you are already one of our tenants, and want to become a joint tenant, write to us asking us to transfer your tenancy into joint names. Joint tenancy might happen if, for example, you decided to move in with your partner. In your letter, you will need to tell us who the joint tenant is and when you want the joint tenancy to start.
Do remember that Joint tenants have equal responsibility for paying rent and observing the conditions of the tenancy. You cannot transfer any Preserved Right to Buy to your new co-tenant.
Although Joint Tenancy shouldn't be a problem, we might not always be able to give our permission. This might happen if:
- We have already obtained an order for your eviction
- We have written to tell you that we are seeking an order for your eviction
I want to let out a room in my home
If you want to sub-let a room, or take in a lodger, for whatever reason, you will have to get our written permission.
When you write to us, you will need to tell us:
- Who is currently living in your home
- Who you want to take into your home as a lodger
- How much rent you are going to charge
You will also need to give us a copy of the 'lease' or agreement you will use between you and the lodger.
As with transfers, we'll do our best to deal with this within 28 days. Do note that we will be forced to refuse your request if:
- We have obtained an order for your eviction
- We have written to tell you that we are raising legal proceedings against you
- The house would become overcrowded
If permission isn't granted, we will explain why. If you are unhappy with this decision, you can appeal.
I want to pass on my tenancy to someone else
The right to pass your tenancy on to someone else, in legal terms, is called Assignation. As with all other forms of property transfer, you will need to write to us, letting us know who you want to pass your tenancy on to and when.
We aim to deal with these requests within 28 days, and as always, you have the right to appeal if you are unhappy with our decision.
Do note that Preserved Right to Buy never passes on through Assignation.
Can I succeed to my partner's home if the worst happens?
If someone close to you dies, sorting out wills and houses can often seem unnecessarily cumbersome when you are overcome with grief. We will always do our best to help you out sensitively if the worst happens.
If the tenant who died was a Scottish Secure Tenant, tenancy can be passed on to another member of the family.
In the event that an extended family live at the same address, family members would succeed to the house in the following order:
- The husband or wife
- A partner who has lived with the tenant in that home, as their main home, for at least 6 months
- An adult member of the family - if the house has been their main home
A home can also be passed on to a carer, if there are no eligible family members, on the condition that:
- The carer is aged at least 16 at date of death
- The house was the carer's only or principal home at the date of death
- The carer gave up another only or principal home before the death
- The carer is providing, or has provided, care for the tenant or a member of the tenant's family
The house has been adapted for special needs which I don't have - will I still succeed to the tenancy?
In some cases, the house that is the subject of the succession may have been adapted specifically for the needs of the tenant who has died. As we have so many prospective tenants with special needs waiting for houses, we may, in this case, find a suitable new home for you, so that we can use the adapted home for the new tenant, whose needs match the facilities provided in the house you rent.
We will do everything we can to deal sympathetically with your case at such a difficult time.
