Terms of Service

1 Agreement to Terms

By creating an account or using MutualExchange.uk ("the Platform"), you agree to these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, please do not use the Platform.

2 What MutualExchange Is

MutualExchange.uk is a platform that connects UK social housing tenants who want to swap their homes. We provide tools for listing properties, searching for matches, and communicating with other tenants.

Important: We are a platform, not a housing provider. We do not guarantee any swap will be approved by your landlord or council. All swaps are subject to the approval of the relevant housing authority.

3 Eligibility

• You must be 18 years or older to use the Platform
• You must be a current social housing tenant (council or housing association) in the United Kingdom
• You must provide accurate information about yourself and your property
• One account per person, one listing per account

4 Your Account

• You are responsible for keeping your login credentials secure
• You must not share your account with others
• You must notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorised access to your account
• We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms

5 Property Listings

When creating a listing, you agree that:

• All information is accurate and truthful
• Photos are genuine and show your actual property
• You have the right to list this property for mutual exchange
• You will keep your listing up to date and mark it as unpublished when you are no longer looking
• You will not use misleading descriptions or photos

6 Acceptable Use

You must not:

• Use the Platform for any unlawful purpose
• Harass, threaten, or abuse other users
• Post false or misleading information
• Impersonate another person
• Attempt to circumvent any security measures
• Use automated tools to scrape or access the Platform
• Use the Platform to collect personal information about other users for purposes unrelated to home swapping
• Post spam, advertisements, or solicitations

7 Messaging

• Messages are private between sender and recipient
• We may review messages if a user reports abuse
• Do not share personal financial information (bank details, etc.) via messages
• Be respectful in all communications

8 Premium Subscriptions

• Premium subscriptions cost £1.99 per month, billed monthly via Stripe
• You may cancel at any time — your Premium features remain until the end of the billing period
• If a payment fails, you have a 7-day grace period before your account is downgraded to Free
• No refunds are given for partial months
• Free trial periods may be offered at our discretion

9 Free Accounts

Free accounts can fully participate in home swapping, including creating a listing, searching, and contacting other users. Free accounts see contextually relevant adverts via Google AdSense. This is how we keep the platform accessible to everyone.

10 Flagging and Moderation

• Any user can privately flag another user for letting them down or behaving inappropriately
• Flags are reviewed by our moderation team
• After multiple upheld flags, a neutral warning badge may appear on a user's profile
• We may suspend or ban users who repeatedly violate community standards
• There are no public comments on profiles — this is by design to prevent bullying

11 Intellectual Property

• The MutualExchange platform, design, and code are owned by us
• Content you upload (photos, descriptions) remains yours, but you grant us a licence to display it on the Platform
• You must not copy, reproduce, or redistribute any part of the Platform without our permission

12 Limitation of Liability

• We provide the Platform "as is" and make no guarantees about the availability of matches or the success of any swap
• We are not responsible for the actions, reliability, or honesty of other users
• We are not responsible for any landlord or council decisions regarding your swap application
• Our total liability to you is limited to the amount you have paid us in the 12 months prior to any claim

13 Account Deletion

• You can delete your account at any time via your account settings
• Deleted accounts enter a 30-day soft delete period during which you can recover your account
• After 30 days, all personal data is permanently deleted in accordance with our Privacy Policy

14 Changes to These Terms

We may update these terms from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by email. Continued use of the Platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the new terms.

15 Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

16 Contact Us

For questions about these terms, contact us at hello@mutualexchange.uk.