Luton Borough Council

Room to Move scheme

Room to Move is a council scheme to encourage and help tenants to move from a larger property to a smaller property, to free-up homes for families.

This scheme aims to provide homes with affordable rent and prevent overcrowding based on a family’s housing needs. Tenants can find a smaller property that suits their needs and maintain their home easily. It improves our service to allocate larger homes to families who are overcrowded.

The purpose of this scheme is to assess your housing preferences to understand your needs and to optimise resource allocation. The scheme offers financial assistance, cash incentives and help with moving costs.

Who's eligible?

Secure council tenants who:

are in 'general needs' accommodation and are under-occupying
occupy properties that benefit from major adaptations where the facilities are no longer required by the household
require major adaptations to their homes where the need can be more economically met in alternative accommodation

Please note: the scheme is not available to tenants in sheltered accommodation.

Who doesn’t qualify?

Introductory tenants
Tenants who've breached, or are being investigated for a breach of, their tenancy conditions
Tenants securing their own accommodation including:

out of borough moves
private sector moves
mutual exchanges

Tenants in arrears of rent, however this may be waived where:

the debt can be cleared by funds deducted from the cash payment incentive
a repayment agreement is reached and written agreement is provided that the debt will continue to be paid at the new address

How will qualifying tenants secure a property?

Qualifying tenants will be afforded high priority to move on the transfer list (currently band 2).
All lettings will be made through our Choice Based Lettings website and will be calculated as per our Choice Based Lettings allocations policy.

What’s the offer?

Downsizing tenants

£1,500 for the first bedroom released
£1,000 for each subsequent bedroom
£500 “disturbance payment”
A full packing and removal service

Tenants moving to release major adaptations or those requiring major adaptations

£1,500 'disturbance payment'
Full packing and removal service
An additional £500 if the tenant moves to sheltered accommodation

Deductions from payments

The following will be deducted from any cash payment to the tenant:

outstanding rent / court costs (unless it has been agreed prior to the move that the debt can be paid overtime)
re-chargeable repairs upon the vacated property
costs for the removal of rubbish from the vacated property
any other debt to the council