This policy sets out how tenants can register for and get approval from the SA Housing Trust to exchange properties, including housing managed by the SA Housing Trust in an Aboriginal community.

Tenants can register with the SA Housing Trust for a mutual exchange. Both tenants must agree to the exchange, meet the eligibility criteria and all other conditions associated with the exchange.

The SA Housing Trust approves the exchange before it takes place.

Eligibility

To be eligible to register for a mutual exchange, tenants must meet all the below conditions:

  • they’re a current SA Housing Trust tenant
  • they have a lease agreement for 5 years or more or a periodic lease agreement, also known as an ongoing lease agreement
  • they don’t have any active, moderate or serious and substantiated complaints for antisocial behaviour

Approving a mutual exchange

Both tenants must continue being eligible to be approved for a mutual exchange.

The SA Housing Trust won’t approve a mutual exchange in any of the below circumstances:

  • one or both tenants aren’t eligible for the type of housing they want to exchange to
  • the property isn’t appropriate for the number of people in the household
  • they aren’t eligible for an Aboriginal housing property
  • they aren’t eligible for a Domestic or Family Violence Ring-Fencing Initiative property
  • the exchange would contravene a legal or court order, for example an intervention order, parole order

If either tenant has a debt to the SA Housing Trust in line with the Account management policy the SA Housing Trust won’t approve a mutual exchange except if either:

  • they make an arrangement to repay debt if they’re exchanging to housing in an Aboriginal community
  • they’ve maintained an arrangement to repay the debt for at least 6 months before the exchange, if they’re exchanging to public and Aboriginal housing

If either tenant is bankrupt with a debt to the SA Housing Trust, the SA Housing Trust won’t approve a mutual exchange except if either:

  • they’ve had a debt agreement in place for at least 6 months before the exchange, if they’re exchanging to public and Aboriginal housing
  • they’re exchanging to housing in an Aboriginal community

Allocations and lease agreements

When tenants exchange properties it’s considered to be a new tenancy.

Tenants pay a bond and rent in advance for the new tenancy in line with the Housing registration and allocation policy.

Tenants sign a new lease agreement with the SA Housing Trust, also known as the Conditions of Tenancy or Tenancy Agreement.

If a tenant has a fixed term lease agreement before the exchange, the SA Housing Trust carries out a lease review in line with the Probationary and fixed term lease agreements policy to determine how long the fixed term lease agreement at the new property will be for.

The SA Housing Trust offers a periodic lease, also known as an ongoing lease, in the new property if the tenant either:

  • has a periodic lease at their current property
  • is exchanging to housing in an Aboriginal community

Tenants exchanging from housing in an Aboriginal community to public or Aboriginal housing begin the new tenancy on either a 5 or 10 year lease, depending on their circumstances, in line with the Probationary and fixed term lease agreements policy.

Maintenance and water charges

The SA Housing Trust changes the door locks on both properties, excluding screen door locks, at no charge to the tenants.

Tenants are responsible for paying the following charges for the property they’re leaving:

Related information

Controlling documents

This policy is based on and complies with:

  • Conditions of Tenancy
  • Lease Agreement

Supporting guideline

  • Mutual exchange guideline v2

Related policies and other documents

Date this policy applies from

27  June  2025

Version number

3

The online version of the policy is the approved and current version. There’s no guarantee any printed copies are current.