Swapping or moving home

You can swap your home with another council or housing association tenant in Lambeth or anywhere else in the country, if your landlord agrees.

Seaside and Country Homes (SCH)

Seaside and Country Homes (SCH) is a scheme run by the Greater London Authority providing council and housing association tenants with an opportunity to move to the seaside or country. This frees homes in high demand in London. The scheme has about 3,500 flats and bungalows located across the country.

Who qualifies for this scheme?

Lambeth Council and housing association tenants who can live independently without support. They need to be applicants who are:

  • over 60 years old (including joint applicants)
  • moving from an under-occupied home or a property that can help the council meet local housing needs.

Benefits of the scheme

  • You have a choice about the size, type and location of your home.
  • You may benefit from a cheaper cost of living by moving out of London.
  • You will help someone less fortunate by making your home available to someone who is homeless or in housing need.
  • You may still qualify for benefits, even if you have savings or private pensions, if you move.

Apply for the scheme

To apply, complete a registration form on the Greater London Authority website. Your details will then be entered onto a national mobility database.

Applications for the scheme are considered using a points system. The number of points an applicant is awarded depends on personal circumstances, such as the size and location of the current property and the level of housing needs within the borough.

The application process

  • When a property becomes available, it is offered to the applicant with the most points, who will be invited to view the property.
  • If the applicant decides not to take it, the next applicant on the list will be given the opportunity to visit the property and so on, until the property is let.
  • All applicants will be made a second offer if the first property does not suit them, or if the timing of the offer is particularly inconvenient - hospital treatment or family bereavement, for example.
  • Only three properties in total will be offered, after which the applicant will be removed from the scheme.
  • The position on the list will vary as applicants with larger properties are always given priority in order to assist the local housing needs.
  • Cats and dogs are usually allowed in bungalows and flats with private entrances, but not allowed in flats with communal entrances.
  • Permission to keep a hearing or guide dog is likely to be granted provided there is responsible dog ownership and no nuisance is caused to other residents.

Important considerations before you decide to move

Before you decide if this scheme is right for you, it is important that you consider the following.

  • Some properties may be isolated from shops and local or cultural services.
  • Public transport may be less frequent.
  • It may be difficult to leave family and cultural ties behind in London.
  • Once you move through the scheme, moving back to council or housing association housing in London is not always possible. You may wait for a long time to be relocated.

Tenants do not have the right to buy their SCH property.

More information