External mutual exchanges

The following points are adapted from the Allocations Policy and other policies which are relevant to external mutual exchanges. They concern current Vine tenants exchanging out of the Co-op, and prospective tenants exchanging into Vine.

  • 1. The subgroups with main responsibility for transfers and mutual exchanges are Membership and Housing Management. Each of these sub-groups appoints a Transfer Co-ordinator . The two Co-ordinators liaise regularly.
  • 1.1 Households may request an external mutual exchange at any time, and for any reason. Details of the request should be passed to the transfer co-ordinators
  • 1.2 When an external mutual exchange is proposed, the Membership and Housing Management Sub-groups consider policies relating to tenants exchanging out of the Co-op and those relating to new members coming into the Co-op.
  • 2.1 If a member seeking a mutual exchange has had more than 35 consecutive days arrears within the last six months, has not satisfied Housing Management that mitigating circumstances exist, and no satisfactory arrangement for payment of such arrears has been agreed with Housing Management, the applicant will not be considered for a mutual exchange and they will be notified in writing of this decision. If the arrears are due to Housing Benefit then the tenant has to provide proof that the arrears have been chased.
  • 2.2 The Co-operative may also refuse a mutual exchange if either party has their membership under review, or has had a notice ending their tenancy served on them within the last year; or if there are other relevant tenancy issues. (Allocations Policy 2008)
  • 3.1 Background – According to our rules ‘all tenants [of the Co-op] must be members [of the Co-op] and all members must be tenants or prospective tenants’ (Rule 7d).
    This means that when someone is allocated to a tenancy from outside the Co-op, they should become members at the same time as they take up their tenancy.
    That means that they take on the duties of a Member –to join a sub-group, attend meetings and contribute towards the management of the Co-op.
    Vine’s aim is for new members to be fully informed and to feel as welcome and included in the Co-op as possible. (Procedure for becoming a member Dec 2003)
  • 4.1 Housing management will
    · Contact the prospective tenant’s current landlord
    · Check proof of identity
    · Check he prospective tenant’s rent record
    · Confirm whether they have children who will be living with them
    If these are satisfactory Membership will arrange a Membership interview.
  • 4.2 At this meeting members of Membership will
    · make the prospective tenant aware of their Co-op responsibilities
    · explain fully how the Co-op works,
    · point out the “Obligations of the Tenant’ in the Tenancy agreement, especially Clause 5.18 which requires tenants to seek the permission of ‘all other tenants of the Co-operative affected’ if they want to keep a pet.
  • 4.3 If these checks and meetings are satisfactory Housing Management and/or Membership will report to the Management Committee with a recommendation.[VHC1] The MC will take into account all the issues involved, bearing in mind the specific characteristics of the Vine tenants who are proposing to move out of the Co-op and the prospective tenants who are proposing to move in. The MC has the final say.
  • 4.4 Following the Management Committee’s decision, it is Membership Subgroup’s duty to inform the tenants, who may then complete the exchange, if it has been agreed. At the next General Meeting of the Co-op the exchange should be reported for information, and the new tenant put forward for Provisional membership.
  • 5.1 If the external mutual exchange is agreed by the MC, Membership will arrange a new members meeting at which Membership and other Co-op members whom they invite will give the new member a copy of Vine’s ‘New Members’ Handbook’, help the new member select a sub-group and
    put them in contact with the convenor of the chosen sub-group.
  • 5.2. Membership arrange for the new member to have a ‘twin’ within their chosen sub-group, whom the new member can phone for help, and meet before the first sub-group meeting.
  • 5.3. The new member should attend at least one sub-group meeting in the four week period, and a General Meeting if one is held.
  • 5.4. Their membership will be announced (by the Membership sub-group) at the next MC, with an indication that these procedures have been followed.
  • 5.5 They will be formally welcomed into membership at the next General Meeting

Membership policy

Adopted as part of Amended Allocations Policy
September 2008

Amended 23 March 2023