Durham County Council has changed the Council Tax Reduction Scheme. From 1 April 2026, all working‑age residents will need to contribute towards their Council Tax.

We want to make sure you have the right advice and support. If you’re unsure how these changes might affect you, or what to do next, please contact Durham County Council on 03000 262 0000.

Mutual Exchange

If you are thinking of moving to a different home, you may want to consider a mutual exchange. This allows you to swap your property with another housing association or Local Authority tenant. A mutual exchange can be a good option if you need to downsize to a smaller home, move to a bigger home, live closer to facilities, or relocate closer to your family or workplace.

There are two different ways that you can mutually exchange your home:

Homeswapper is the UK's biggest mutual exchange service, with over 400,000 registered users. It's free to register if you are a tenant and is available 24 hours a day. You can search through 1,000s of homes, instant message other users and use their unique Multiswap tool which will help you find the home that's right for you.

How to use it

Visit www.homeswapper.co.uk and click register. You can also register with Facebook.
Give them all of the information about the home you want, and the home you've got.
Homeswapper will find matches for you, or you can run your own search to find exactly what you're looking for.
You can contact your matches and chat to the current tenant using the in-system messaging.
Once you've agreed a swap, you can contact your Housing Adviser to continue the process.

HomeSwapper

You can also register your interest locally with the following services depending on your location:

County Durham homes are advertised on Home - Durham Key Options

Hartlepool and Stockton homes are advertised on Hartlepool House Exchange, Hartlepool Mutual Exchange Home Swaps (councilhomeswap.co.uk)

Darlington homes are advertised on Darlington BC - Mutual exchange

Find A Home Frequently asked questions

What happens next?

Once you have registered your property on Durham Key Options you will receive a reference number which will allow you to log into your account and search for a suitable swap, you will be responsible for contacting other tenants directly who you may wish to swap homes with.

Top Tips for Mutual Exchange

Provide as much detail about your home as possible
Provide photos of your home to show how nice your property is
Add any marketing information (Close to local amenities, schools, transport links etc)
Remember to specify where you would like to move to
Please provide an email address and contact number so interested parties can contact you regarding your advert
When your home is advertised, continue to check your Mutual Exchange account. New homes are added on a regular basis

How do I apply for a Livin home or bungalow?

We advertise all of our available homes on our Find A Home page, simply visit this page for more information.

Before you can place a bid on one of our homes, you must first have an active account with the relevant Choice Based Lettings Scheme. Almost all our homes are located in County Durham and therefore are allocated through the Durham Key Options scheme. Durham Key Options (DKO) is a partnership between Durham County Council and landlords across County Durham.

We have a small number of homes which are located outside Durham, these are all advertised through Tees Valley HomeFinder, Hartlepool HomeSearch and Darlington HomeSearch; They are similar to Durham Key Options but we do not process applications registered for these schemes. If you wish to register an application for homes advertised in this area, please apply directly.

Once your application is approved, you will then be able to bid on homes that meet your needs. You can access the application form directly by visiting the relevant Choice Based Lettings system.

How long will it take for my application to be processed?

We aim to start processing your application within 10 working days. If we require any further information after this point, we will contact you to ask for this. Once we have received all the required information we will notify you of our decision within 20 days, and if accepted we will activate your account. You can also check your application status online by logging into the DKO portal.

How can I get involved with Livin and help to shape services?

To find out more about the different ways you can get involved, please visit our getting involved section.

Can I apply to buy my home under Right to Buy?

Tenants who have been with Livin since before the transfer from Sedgefield Council in 2009 may have the “Preserved Right to Buy” their property. Full details of the scheme are available on the Government Right to Buy website. If you are thinking of applying, please contact us.

Can I apply to buy my home under Right to Acquire?

If you have been a tenant for 3 or more years you may have the right to buy your property under the Right to Acquire scheme. Full details of the scheme are available on the Government Right to Acquire website. If you are thinking of applying, please contact us.