Transfers for council tenants

Applying for a transfer

To qualify for a transfer, you must have lived in your current home for 12 months before applying, and not have rent arrears (unless you have kept to any formal agreement with us to reduce arrears for at least 12 months).　

You may be eligible for a transfer if:

• you are moving to a smaller property because your current home is larger than you need (sometimes called an 'under-occupation transfer')
• you are moving to supported housing (such as sheltered accommodation)
• you have special medical needs
• you have an urgent need for rehousing because of violence, abuse or harassment
• your relationship has ended
• you want to move away from London
• you suffer from overcrowding

We can also consider giving you extra priority for a move if there is a clear social need, for example, if you need to move closer to a person who either provides or needs your support.

What happens when I apply for a transfer?　　

If you are approved for a transfer, Haringey Council housing assessment team will assess your needs, including any medical needs. As a result of the assessment, you will be prioritised and placed in a band based on your circumstances. People in the highest priority bands are normally transferred first.

Haringey operates a ‘choice based’ lettings scheme, Home Connections which offers you an opportunity to choose your own home, based on the needs of your household. Other families may bid for the same home but priority is given to families in the highest priority bands.　

Once you choose a property, any offer to you will be made under Haringey’s 'one suitable offer' policy. Although you have a choice of many advertised properties under the Home Connections scheme, you will only be made one suitable offer.　

Once you have chosen your property and offered a tenancy, you will not be eligible for any further offers. It is therefore important to choose carefully from the available properties. If you need a specially adapted property, the Lettings Team will make you a direct offer so that we can match the property to your exact needs.

One suitable offer

Haringey Council operates a ‘one suitable offer’ policy. This means that we will only make you one suitable offer. A suitable offer is one that is the right size for your household in any part of Haringey. Wherever possible, the offer will be one which:

• is near a special school, if this is relevant
• reduces the risk of further violence to women who have been rehoused because of domestic violence

If you do not move into the accommodation and we think that it is suitable, we will no longer have any responsibility to house you and you will have to leave any temporary accommodation we have provided. You will then have to find a place to live yourself.

If you are unhappy about a decision we've made on a transfer application, you can ask for a review. To request a review of a suitable offer, you have to move into the property before making the request.

Under-occupation transfer　

If you are a Haringey tenant under-occupying your home, then you can register for a transfer. People who move from properties that are larger than they need help us deal more effectively with the problems of homelessness and overcrowding. We want to help tenants living in larger properties to move to more suitably sized homes, and there are financial incentives to move. Our under-occupation officer will make sure that you get the help and support you need throughout the move.

If you are under-occupying a home and would like to move to a property with fewer bedrooms, your application for a transfer will be given high priority and be placed in Band A. This would put you in a strong position when you bid for suitable properties on the Home Connections website.

Apply for an under-occupation move

Tenants will be provided with a standard payment of £1,000 for moving to a smaller property plus £1,000 for each bedroom they give up. Any rent arrears will be deducted from this incentive payment.

To help with the move, tenants will also be provided with a grant of £500 toward the cost of removals.

This incentive is available to all tenants applying for an under-occupation transfer, mutual exchange (as long as the incoming household will not be under-occupying the property) and Seaside and Country Homes.

Other transfer reasons

You're over 50 and need to downsize

You may want to consider moving into sheltered accommodation.

You have special medical needs

Haringey Council's Medical Assessment team decides if you have to transfer for medical reasons. Their decision is based on how seriously your medical condition is affected by your home. To apply you must fill in a medical transfer form. Email us for details.

Do you need to transfer due to violence, abuse or harassment?

If you have reported domestic violence in your home to us, your Tenancy Management Officer will discuss with you all the options to make sure you are safe - and whether a transfer is appropriate for you. They may also refer you to Hearthstone domestic violence advice and support centre.

We will take legal action against those responsible for violence. We will act to evict anyone guilty of violence if they live in our property.

Is your council home too small?

Although we can consider you for a transfer if your home is not big enough, normally only households that are severely overcrowded will have a chance of being moved.

Do you need to move due to fire or flood damage to your home?

If you have suffered fire or flood damage and your home cannot be lived in, we will help with temporary accommodation until you can return. We will transfer you temporarily when your home needs repairs that cannot be carried out while you continue to live there. We will also offer you other temporary accommodation while your present home is going to be refurbished or redeveloped.　

Transfer schemes　

There are a number of schemes available to help you if you need to move to a new home.　

Home Connections

If your transfer request has been approved, you can bid for properties on Home Connections. They advertise available homes each week and you can bid for them based on your banding. The top 7 bidders will be invited to view the property before making their decision. You will be given an opportunity at the viewing to indicate whether you want to proceed with your bid. There will be no penalty for turning the property down at this stage of the process.

Find out more about Home Connections.

Homefinder UK

We subscribe to the Homefinder UK which offers opportunities for social housing tenants who live in areas of high demand. Housing opportunities in other parts of the country may prove to be more affordable than their current location and so Homefinder UK works with landlords to identify available properties across the UK

Find out more about Homefinder UK.

Seaside and Country Homes

If you are 55 or older and you wish to move to a home outside of London then you may be interested in the Seaside and Country Homes scheme.　

Find out more about the Seaside and Country Homes scheme.

House Exchange

An online housing transfer scheme which facilitates introductions between social housing tenants looking to swap their homes. Simply register, create your profile and search for other social housing tenants looking to swap their homes.

Find out more about House Exchange.