Can a wet room be cited by the council as a reason to decline a move? Could I make an appeal?

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mcaurrey1969

Hi, thanks for adding me. I need advice on an impending move via mutual exchange between social housing tenants please. 

I had my bath removed 6 years ago and at the time of all properties in my road having updated kitchens and bathrooms, they put in a wet room for me instead. I was told at the time that the only restriction this would place on me going forward was that I'd not be able to exchange for 5 years. That was fine by me. 

Since then my needs have changed. My son needs to be elsewhere for college and eventually, uni and I need to be where facilities are closer by and more community around me. I'm pretty isolated where I am. 

I found someone that wants my home and found a place we want to move to, so a 3 way exchange. We've submitted papers for the swap. I'm really concerned, after reading reasons they can decline, that they will cite my wet room as making my home adapted when it is literally just the wet room, the rest of the flat isn't particularly disabled friendly. 

Can they cite a wet room as reason to decline? Could I appeal I'd they do? The other home I want is perfect for us and the people wanting here thinks this is perfect for them, and likewise the lady moving to theirs thinks same. We each are so happy and needing this. We are all willing to accept properties as is. The people wanting mine have no physical limitations requiring a wet room but the council could put a caveat that the wet room remain, so that it isn't changed back and any future tenants that are disabled can benefit? 

Or am I looking at potential heartbreak here. 

poppy123456

HI and welcome,

I think the only ones that can answer your questions here is your landlord. If there is a restristion on your property that makes it disabled only then there could potentially be problems with exchanging with someone that isn't disabled so yes they can decline your exchange for that reason.

A few years ago i moved into a disabled house, which included a wet room. Before i moved into it the criteria for this house was you needed to be disabled to be considered. It was my disablity that got me this house. If it was to be housed by a non disabled person then it would have needed to be put back the way it was before.