Move to a smaller council home

If your council home is larger than your current and long-term needs, we encourage you to move to a smaller property. This is known as ‘downsizing’.

If you are a council tenant, we will pay you to move to a smaller home.

Housing association tenants who apply to the housing register to downsize will not receive an incentive grant or removal costs. We will place you on a priority ‘need to move’ list (band B in the housing register).

Contact us to apply to move to a smaller home.  

Contact us

Benefits of moving to a smaller home

Moving to a smaller home can have many benefits including:

• lower energy bills for smaller properties
• less maintenance and upkeep work
• reduced rent for smaller properties

Who can apply

You can apply if you live in:

• Woking borough
• a council or housing association property
• a home that has more bedrooms than you need

Who cannot apply

You will not qualify for the scheme, if you:

• move to a smaller property because of medical priority or into supported living or extra care
• are told to move following the death of the tenant
• do not empty the property on the day that you move out and return the keys
• have asked someone to leave who is now homeless
• move home because of a housing emergency such as anti-social behaviour or disrepair
• arrange a move yourself without our help
• switch houses with someone 

What you'll get

If you live in a council property

We will:

• place you on a priority ‘need to move’ list (band B in the housing register)
• pay you money based on how many bedrooms you are giving up
• pay your moving costs

Money you'll be paid for moving to a smaller home