HomeSwap Service – Terms of Use
Use of our HomeSwap Service is governed by the Terms and Conditions (as amended from time to time) which consist of these Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and the User Help Information.
HomeSwap allows tenants of Fife Council, Fife Housing Group, Glen Housing Association, Kingdom Housing Association, Ochil View Housing Association, Blackwood Homes, Ark Housing Association, Link Housing Association, Dunedin Canmore Housing Association, Homegroup (Scotland), Ore Valley Housing Association, Hillcrest Homes, and Viewpoint Housing Association, to register their property on HomeSwap to try to find a mutual exchange. Access to join HomeSwap will be permitted if:
- You are a tenant or joint tenant with a participating landlord; and
- You hold a Scottish Secure Tenancy.
If you do not hold a Scottish Secure Tenancy Agreement, you cannot join HomeSwap.
HomeSwap is delivered through the Fife Housing Register website (www.fifehousingregister.org.uk). To join HomeSwap you need to create a Fife Housing Register account and then register within HomeSwap to create your advert.
New participating landlords may join the service at any time, following agreement of existing participating landlords.
Information on how to create a Fife Housing Register account, how to register with HomeSwap, and how to use the service is available via the User Help Information.
To create an advert, you are required to confirm your address and provide your property attributes (property type, property size, heating type, garden, bathing facilities and adaptations). Our site may pre-populate some of this information, which you can amend.
You have the option to include a written description about your property and a further description explaining what you are looking to exchange to.
You are given the option to display your advert on our Public Register. The Public Register will be visible to anyone who visits fifehousingregister.org.uk. More information about the Public Register is included below.
You are unable to access the full HomeSwap service until your landlord has approved your advert. Any inaccurate property attributes will be corrected by your landlord. Your property rental change will be added during the landlord approval process.
You will receive an email confirming if your advert has been approved. If approved, prior to accessing the full HomeSwap service, you must validate your email address. A validation email will be issued when you first create an account, and the link in your approval email can also be used to validate your email address.
Once you have been approved to join HomeSwap you enter your housing preferences using the search criteria options.
This specific information is collected so that you and other tenants can be automatically matched together on HomeSwap based on your current property, and your exchange preferences. You can amend your preferences at any time via the search options.
Important Information About your use of HomeSwap
Please remember, when you arrange a viewing you are dealing with a stranger. Participating landlords DO NOT carry out character references or health and safety assessments on users of HomeSwap. YOUR SAFETY IS IMPORTANT TO US. Always refer to our viewing advice BEFORE ARRANGING OR CARRYING OUT a viewing.
HomeSwap is a tool to help you find someone to exchange your property with. You acknowledge that the extent of HomeSwap is to introduce tenants in respect of potential exchanges and facilitate contact between these individuals. Approval to use HomeSwap does not mean that any request to exchange houses will automatically be granted. A landlord may refuse a mutual exchange for a number of reasons including, without limitation:
- there are rent arrears or outstanding recharges
- a notice for eviction has been served or an eviction order is in place
- any person involved in the exchange has pursued a course of antisocial behaviour
- the inside of the property is not to a reasonable standard
- the house has been designed or adapted, and the incoming household does not need the adaptions
- the exchange would result in under-occupation (too many bedrooms)
- the exchange would result in overcrowding (not enough bedrooms)
- either party is not a secure tenant, or has a Short Scottish Secure Tenancy (SSST)
Each landlord operates their own Mutual Exchange Policy. They will apply their own standards when considering an exchange request.
If a suitable mutual exchange is found, you must request permission from your landlord before you move home. You do this by submitting a Mutual Exchange Application form. The landlord(s) of all tenancies/properties involved must agree to the exchange.
Tenants may find mutual exchanges through other means, you do not need to be signed up on HomeSwap to request an exchange.
Participating landlords offer no guarantee and makes no warranty as to the likelihood of you finding a suitable match which leads to a successful exchange. In addition, participating landlords cannot guarantee or warrant the existence, suitability or condition of any of the properties detailed on HomeSwap nor do they accept any liability in contract or delict (other than where negligence by Fife Council gives rise to personal injury or death) which arises due to your direct or indirect use of HomeSwap.
Any photographs that are uploaded are sent to your landlord for approval before they are displayed online. HomeSwap publish information and other materials provided by third parties and therefore does not warrant the accuracy of photographs or any other information on HomeSwap, therefore you may wish to make your own enquiries as to the accuracy of the information given.
You agree not to post, upload or transfer to HomeSwap any material which is obscene, misleading, inaccurate, defamatory, illegal, in breach of any copyright or other intellectual property right, or damaging to data, software or any computer systems. You also agree to treat all HomeSwap users with dignity and respect. In the event that you transfer any such material to HomeSwap, or behave in an unacceptable manner towards another user, your access may be revoked at a participating landlord’s sole discretion.
Inactivity on the account will be monitored and if you have not accessed HomeSwap within 6 months, you will be removed from the service.
You have the option to delete your account if you no longer wish to be registered on HomeSwap You can delete your account via the ‘Delete my Account’ option. This will remove you from the HomeSwap service and delete your main user account. Your data will be permanently deleted three months later.
You undertake to indemnify and keep indemnified participating landlords against all damages, costs, expenses, awards, liabilities, losses and claims to any person and any loss of or damage arising from any personal injury or property due to, in whole or in part, any act or omission on your part whether or not in breach of these Terms of Use or arising from your negligence.
You can choose to include your advert on our HomeSwap Public Register. The Public Register will be available on our Fife Housing Register website and can be viewed by any person who visits the website, without signing in to HomeSwap. The Register will only include HomeSwap users who confirm they wish to opt in.
If you opt in, your HomeSwap advert will be displayed. Your door number, personal details, and contact information will not be displayed.
If a tenant wishes to contact you via the Public Register, they will complete an online Enquiry Form, which is emailed to you. You decide if you wish to reply. You can opt in or out of the Public Register at any time by accessing your account and amending your preference in the My Advert option.
Further information about HomeSwap
If you are having problems accessing your Fife Housing Register account or registering for HomeSwap contact homeswap@fife.gov.uk.
HomeSwap Service - Privacy Policy
What we will do with your information:
Fife Council and participating landlords will use the information provided by you to administer HomeSwap and to facilitate the finding of a mutual exchange. Fife Council and participating landlords will process your information in order to register and manage your account.
Fife Council will provide technical support and assistance to users to the service. Fife Council are therefore the main site administrator, and will have access to all user advert information. Site access for all other participating landlords will be limited to their own tenants advert information.
The properties will only be available for other tenants to view who are registered and approved for HomeSwap, unless you opt into the Public Register (see above for more information). You cannot view any properties advertised within HomeSwap until a participating landlord has approved your own registration. Your personal details are not displayed on HomeSwap. HomeSwap will display your street name and postcode, and any photographs of your home which you have chosen to upload, your property attributes, and written descriptions. HomeSwap will not display your door number, personal details or contact information.
When you and another tenant registered within HomeSwap have shown ‘mutual interest’ within the service, an email will be sent to you both by HomeSwap releasing your preferred contact information. If you wish to amend your contact details you can update these via the Update My Personal Details section within HomeSwap.
Fife Council and the participating landlords may share your information with third parties to prevent or detect crime and to protect public funds.
If you have any queries regarding the processing of your information in relation to the HomeSwap please refer to our Privacy Policy or contact homeswap@fife.gov.uk
