Have you ever looked on HomeSwapper and seen a property that’s labelled ‘No swap needed’? This is what’s called a ‘void property’, which means that it is immediately available to be moved into! On HomeSwapper, landlords are able to upload any properties that they have that might be sitting empty and need a tenant.
Why are there void properties?
As of 2019, there are an estimated 216,000 empty homes in England. When there is such a demand for quality homes it does seem strange that so many are sitting without families and individuals in them. Most of these empty homes are privately owned, so it can be difficult to get them back into circulation.
In the case of those private properties standing empty, local authorities have the power to double council tax charges in the hope that the extra cost will convince the owner to start using the property again.
Some of these properties are however, owned by social housing landlords – these are the ones you might see on HomeSwapper!
Void properties on HomeSwapper
We really want to see empty homes across the UK filled with tenants, which is why we’ve made sure that landlords can advertise their void properties on the HomeSwapper system.
Void properties for social housing are fairly few and far between and those listed on HomeSwapper are always uploaded by landlords. At HomeSwapper, we don’t hold a list of empty homes, but you can filter your matches to show those that have been put on the system by landlords. To do this, when you’re setting your match filters, just click on ‘No swap required’. All void properties in search results will appear with a purple box around them so you can be sure to notice them!
When a landlord uploads a void property to HomeSwapper, they will choose who the home will be visible to. Some landlords might want this property to be available to tenants already living in one of their homes, but others might want the home to be seen by all tenants on HomeSwapper.
Landlords are also able to promote the home through HomeSwapper by sending a message to all the swappers that the home matches with. If that’s you, then you can expect to see it in your inbox!
Why choose a void property?
The main advantage of choosing a void property is that you don’t need to arrange a swap with another user, you can deal with the landlord directly. Zoe Banks is one of the HomeSwapper Team and she explains the benefits of choosing a void property:
“Tenants are able to view that property on HomeSwapper and see that it is available immediately. The benefit this has for the tenants is that it entirely cuts out the process of mutual exchange and the worry of the other party pulling out or something in the process getting declined. A tenant could be in a new, more appropriate home straight away.”
How to apply for a void property on HomeSwapper
When you spot a home you like labelled ‘No swap needed’, it’s a very simple process to apply for it!
Simply click into the advert, where you’ll see the landlord’s contact details (most landlords give a phone number and/or email address)… then you can contact them directly and take it from there!
If the contact details aren’t showing, then it may be because the home listing has been taken down. Some landlords will only advertise these properties for a very short space of time (in some cases less than a day).
Remember, there may not be a home out there that ticks every box you need, but with a little flexibility in mind, accepting a void property could mean that the search for a new home is a short one!
Best of luck swappers!
The HomeSwapper Customer Support team are always on hand to give advice and tips on how to get the most from HomeSwapper. They deal with Swappers every day and have a unique insight and view on the thousands of successful swaps that take place on HomeSwapper.
