You can apply for a transfer if you're renting a home from the Housing Executive or a registered housing association in Northern Ireland.
Applying for a transfer
You can apply for a transfer if
- you are a secure tenant, and
- you have lived in your current home for 2 years.
Apply by filling in the Housing/Transfer application form. Return the completed form to your current landlord.
You can also apply for a transfer online.
Landlord says you can't apply for a transfer
Your landlord can refuse to put you on the transfer list if
- you owe more than 4 weeks' rent,
- your property is in a bad condition or neglected
- you owe your landlord money for damages, or
- you've broken the terms of your tenancy agreement.
Get advice if your landlord says you can't get a transfer. They can still put you on the transfer list if
- you have passed the 4 tests for homelessness
- you have other homeless points
- you need a transfer on health or social grounds
- you are living in shared accommodation and want to move somewhere on your own
- you can’t afford your rent and heating costs
- your landlord thinks it would be a good idea for you to transfer.
Waiting for a transfer
The length of time you'll wait for an offer depends on
- how many housing points you have, and
- what area you want to move to.
Some areas are very popular or do not have a lot of housing. You'll need a lot more points to get an offer in these areas. Your housing officer decides how many points you have.
Ask your housing officer to send you a breakdown of your points. Check this breakdown against our list of points to see if there are other points you should have.
Get advice if you think you should have more points.
Management transfer
A management transfer is a special type of transfer status. If you have this status your housing officer can offer you a property if
- other people on the list have more points than you, but
- it makes good housing sense to offer the property to you instead.
Your housing officer can give you management transfer status if
- you have passed all 4 homelessness tests
- you have intimidation points
- transferring you could help sort out a neighbourhood dispute which is getting worse
- you have to move because your landlord is redeveloping the area you live in
- your current home is due to have major repairs or improvements
- you live in housing built for a specific user group and it is due to be demolished or transferred to another landlord
- you live in specialist housing and you don’t need this type of housing anymore
- someone in your household needs specially adapted housing, other than a bungalow or ground floor property
- you have a district heating debt and transferring you would stop this increasing
Transferring if you rent your home from a landlord in Great Britain
Landlords based in Great Britain can't transfer you to Northern Ireland. Instead, you should
- try to swap your tenancy with someone living in Northern Ireland using the Homeswapper website, or
- apply to the Housing Executive as a new applicant from outside Northern Ireland.
Transferring your tenancy to Great Britain
You can't transfer your tenancy to Great Britain. But, you can try to swap tenancies with someone living in Great Britain. Use the Homeswapper website to find a swap partner.
Get advice if you want to move. Talk to
- Shelter if you want to live in England
- Shelter Scotland if you want to live in Scotland
- Shelter Cymru if you want to live in Wales.
- Citizens Information can talk to you about housing in the Republic of Ireland.
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