Council home too big or too small

Do you have more bedrooms than you need?

  • Have your children moved out leaving your current home too big for you?
  • Are your heating bills rising?
  • Would you like to be nearer to your family in another part of the borough, or even in another part of the country?
  • Is your current home adapted for a disability but now you have no need for the adaptations?
  • Would you just like a smaller property to live in?

The 'under occupier scheme' is available to help those people whose homes are too large for them, move into a new property quickly. We will help you register to bid for a property using the Locata scheme and, if you prefer, we will do the bidding for you. We may also help you on moving day by arranging your removals at no cost to you.

You will benefit from:

  • help registering and bidding for a new property
  • help arranging and possibly paying for a removals company, including all boxes and packing
  • after you move, we will pay you £1000 for each bedroom you gave up. For example moving from a three-bed property to one-bed would give you £2000
  • the money can be used in any way you choose. If there are any arrears on your rent account, we will deduct this amount from your payment, to clear the rent account.
  • if you want to move out of London we can also help with the Seaside and Country Homes Scheme

You can choose the type of accommodation and the area you wish to move to. You can move to a council property in the borough of Ealing, or a housing association property in Ealing or to another housing association property. 

Moving to a smaller property can reduce your heating bills and time spent on housekeeping. If you have mobility difficulties, you may be able to move to a more suitable location such as a flat on the ground floor or with a lift, or a bungalow. We may also be able to arrange a connection to a community alarm system or help with moving this to your new property if you already have one.

You are eligible for the scheme if:

  • you are a secure tenant of a two, three or four bedroom property and you would like to move to a smaller property
  • your need adaptations to make your home more suitable for you and you agree to move to a property that is already adapted
  • your home has adaptations which you no longer require
  • you take part in a mutual exchange with another tenant of Ealing Council who is registered for a transfer and has priority for overcrowding

For further information, contact the housing initiatives team by email at housinginitiatives@ealing.gov.uk

If you are overcrowded

If you need a larger home, you can register for rehousing on Locata. Please note that you are likely to wait a long time for this. 

There are other options available if your home is overcrowded:

  • Mutual exchange - you can apply for a mutual exchange with another Ealing Council tenant. Speak to your neighbourhood housing officer if you are interested in mutual exchange.
  • Home swap - you can apply to swap homes to a bigger property by signing up to HomeSwapper. You will need to make an application and manage the swap independantly.