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Housing association tenant looking to move
If you are already a tenant of a housing association but want or need to move there are a number of options you can look at.
Apply for a transfer
If you live in a housing association home in Watford, depending on the reason for moving, you may be able to apply for a transfer to another housing association home by applying to the council's Housing Register.
The council's Housing Nominations Policy sets out the types of applicants on the Housing Register given the most priority for any available housing associations homes that the council can nominate to. You can read the Housing Nominations Policy to find out if your reasons for moving are given priority. One of the top priorities is housing association tenants who are living in homes that are too large for them: for example, they are living in a home with 3 bedrooms but only need a home with one bedroom now. You can also contact your housing association landlord to find out if they would give you a financial incentive if you would like to move to home with fewer bedrooms.
You can apply to the council's Housing Register here.
The council does not own any homes. Any available affordable homes in Watford are owned by local housing associations. Housing associations offer homes they have available to let to the council which in turn nominates applicants from the Housing Register. The number of homes available for letting from housing associations has reduced considerably in recent years.
Shelter has some useful advice for housing association and council tenants wishing to move.
Swap with another housing association tenant
A quicker option is to look at swapping your home with another housing association or council tenant. You need to bear in mind that if you find a home through this route, your landlord and the landlord of the person you want to swap with has to agree to the arrangement first. They will not agree if either of you owe any rent. Landlords may have other requirements before agreeing to the swap, such as asking you to reinstate the home you currently occupy if you have made any alterations to it. Landlords cannot unreasonably refuse to allow the swap.
See these websites to find other housing association and council tenants to swap with:
