Transfers for council tenants

How do I apply for a transfer to a different council home?

Apply for a transfer to a different council home

Please note: you will be placed in a priority band on the waiting list and will be allocated a property in line with our council housing allocation policy. 

Sheltered accommodation

If you wish to move to sheltered accommodation (that is linked to the warden service) you should also complete a transfer application form and area list. 

The following PDF document provides information on which type of property we have in which location.

What and Where? A guide to social rented housing in the East Riding (pdf 759kb)

Mutual exchange

You may also wish to consider a mutual exchange. This is where one tenant swaps homes with another tenant, with our approval. The property should be suitable for your needs. Both tenants move on the same agreed date so that neither property is left empty. You may be able to exchange with a council or housing association tenant within or outside of the East Riding.

Right to Move

If you need to another area to be nearer to your employment or to take up an offer of employment, and would suffer hardship if you were not able to move, you may be eligible to move to another local authority's area under the Right to Move Scheme. To be eligible you must for the scheme you should:

• be a council or housing association tenant
• have either employment or an offer of employment in the area you wish to move to, and
• be at risk of suffering hardship if you were not able to move.

You should approach the local authority for the area that you wish to move to, to find out how to apply.

Find out more

Many tenants ask how long it will take to get a transfer – this, unfortunately, is impossible to predict, as we don’t know how many properties are going to become vacant, and people are constantly joining and leaving the waiting list.

Probably the most helpful property allocation information that we can give you is about property allocations (by area and property type) within the last calendar month so that you can see how long the applicant who was allocated the property had been in their waiting list band and which band they were in. The following pdf gives our latest property allocation information. 

Council Home Allocation Information (pdf 237kb)

I have rent arrears, can I move to a different council home?

If you have rent arrears you can still apply for a transfer, but we would not normally consider you for rehousing until the arrears have been paid in full and your rent account had been kept paid up-to-date for 12 months.

You can still apply for a mutual exchange if you have rent arrears, but it will be a condition that they must be paid in full before the exchange can go ahead. If you have been served with a notice of seeking possession because of rent arrears consent to exchange can be refused.

I need to move to another council home for medical reasons, what should I do?

Apply to move to another council home for medical reasons

We will assess your transfer application and if you qualify, we'll send you a medical priority form for you to complete and return to us. Our disability resource team will then grant priority for a specific type of accommodation such as the ground floor, if you meet the criteria. They cannot specify the area or proximity to facilities.

I’m a disabled pensioner and an East Riding council tenant, can I get any help to move to a more suitable property?

If you are a pensioner or disabled, and an East Riding council tenant we can help you look at the options for moving to more suitable accommodation. We can provide practical help when you move, and if you are in receipt of a means-tested benefit we can provide financial help towards the costs of moving.

We can:

• visit you in your own home to discuss your circumstances and your options for moving
• accompany you to visit alternative homes
• obtain quotes for packing and moving your furniture and possessions
• take meter readings, contact your utility company/companies and arrange is connection and reconnection of gas, electricity etc
• arrange disconnection and reconnection of kitchen appliances, such as washing machine or cooker
• arrange disconnection and reconnection of telephone and/or internet services
• arrange for medical equipment to be moved
• make arrangements for carpets to be lifted and refitted
• and refer you to other supporting agencies that can offer services to help you.
  

Financial help

If you move out of an East Riding council house into a flat or bungalow and are in receipt of a means-tested benefit, we can provide financial help of up to £2,000 towards the costs of moving. Subject to approval, we can also arrange to carry out security works to your new home (such as outside lighting or security bolts to doors) to the value of £500.

Find out more

If you would like to find out more about our housing options advice service, or wish to make an appointment for a home visit please contact:

Housing Options Advice Service
Email: housing.services@eastriding.gov.uk 
Tel: (01482) 396301

I’m about to move to another council home, what do I need to remember?

Before you transfer to your new council home you should:

• pay your rent up to the Monday on which the tenancy ends, and any arrears from previous tenancies
• complete all repairs that are your responsibility. We will recharge you for the cost of any such repairs if we have to do them after your tenancy has ended
• if you have made any unauthorised improvements or alterations to the property you must put the property back the way it was before they were carried out – we will recharge you for the cost of works required to reinstate the property
• repair any damage to our fixtures and fittings – we will recharge you the cost of any works to repair damage
• tell our housing benefit section, if you receive housing benefit
• check if you are due any compensation for improvements or alterations you have made to your current home. If you are a secure lifetime council tenant, and provided you got permission for improvements or alterations and carried them out satisfactorily you can request a cash payment when you end your tenancy if you have carried out certain types of works. If you have a secure flexible council tenancy you are not entitled to compensation for improvements
• complete a termination of garage tenancy form if you rent a council garage. This is a separate tenancy, and if you no longer wish to continue renting it you need to let us know.

Council garage tenancy termination form (pdf 65kb)

When you move out (or at the latest by 12 noon, on the Monday on which your tenancy ends) you must return all house, garage, shed and outbuilding keys and any communal key fobs to the customer service centre specified in the notice acceptance letter. You must also:

• remove all furniture, carpets, belongings and rubbish from the property, garden and outbuildings – we will recharge you for the cost of removing and disposing of any items left after the tenancy has ended
• ensure that the property is clean
• take meter readings and give them to your utility supplier
• cancel any regular deliveries, such as milk or newspapers
• redirect your mail. The post office website provides information on how to do this:
  The Post Office - Mail redirection information (external website)

When you move out everyone must leave, including lodgers or sub-tenants. If you (they) don't, we will take action to evict them and you will be charged for the costs of doing so.