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Personal & family 2 signers 3 pages 23 blanks to fill in

Home Exchange (House Swap) Agreement Template

Swapping homes for a holiday? Put the dates, cars, pets, house rules and what happens if something breaks — or someone cancels — in writing for both homes.

Use This Template — Free See the Agreement Signers don’t need an account
Home exchange agreement
The blanks in brackets are what you fill in. VergeHR adds each signer’s signature and date boxes.
Home exchange agreement — page 1 of 3
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Home exchange agreement — page 2 of 3
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Home exchange agreement — page 3 of 3
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Use This Template Fill in the blanks, name who signs, and send — from VergeHR eSignature.

What is a home exchange agreement?

In a home exchange, two households stay in each other's homes instead of paying for a hotel or rental — at the same time, or on different dates. It works on trust, and a short written agreement is what keeps that trust intact. It confirms who is staying, when, what each household must leave ready, which rules apply in each home, whether cars are included, who looks after the cat, and who pays if a window gets broken or a flight has to be cancelled.

This template treats both homes the same way: each household is the host for its own home and a guest in the other's. You enter both addresses, contacts and local key holders, the stay dates for each home, the maximum number of people, and separate house rules for each home. Add car terms if you swap cars (insurance, licences, fuel, tolls, fines and the insurance excess are covered), and pets and plants to look after. Choose an optional security deposit each and how cancellation works — each side bears its own costs, or a late cancellation repays the other's non-refundable travel. It also covers preparing the homes, utilities, damage and urgent repairs, insurance, leaving the home and each household's confirmation that it may take part.

Best for
Simultaneous and non-simultaneous home swaps, arranged privately or through an exchange website
Signed by
An adult from each household
Options
Car swap, pets and plants, security deposit, late-cancellation costs
Length
About 3 pages, initialled by both households on every page

When to Use a home exchange agreement

  • Two families swapping homes for a summer holiday abroad
  • A non-simultaneous swap where one household uses a second home
  • Swapping homes and cars for a road-trip holiday
  • Friends or colleagues exchanging city and countryside homes for a few weeks
  • Putting a swap arranged through a home-exchange website into a clear written agreement

What You Fill In

23 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: first household, second household.

1 First household

  • First household (adults' names)*
  • First home's address*
  • First household's phone and email*
  • Local contact at the first home*
  • House rules for the first home (optional)

2 Second household

  • Second household (adults' names)*
  • Second home's address*
  • Second household's phone and email*
  • Local contact at the second home*
  • House rules for the second home (optional)

3 Dates and guests

  • Second household stays in the first home from*
  • until*
  • First household stays in the second home from*
  • until*
  • Maximum people staying in each home*
  • Who will be staying (optional)

4 Cars, pets and costs

  • Cars included (optional)
  • Pets and plants to look after (optional)
  • Currency
  • Security deposit each (optional)

5 Cancellation

  • If a household cancels* each household bears its own costs · a household that cancels late repays the other's non-refundable travel costs
  • Late cancellation means less than (days before arrival)
  • Governing law (optional)

6 Who signs

  • First household signature and date, initials on every page · An adult from the first household who owns or rents the first home.
  • Second household signature and date, initials on every page · An adult from the second household who owns or rents the second home.

What the home exchange agreement Covers

  1. Dates and who stays
  2. Preparing and using the homes
  3. Pets and plants
  4. Cars
  5. Utilities and costs
  6. Damage, breakages and insurance
  7. Leaving the homes
  8. Emergencies
  9. Cancellation
  10. General

Using the home exchange agreement, step by step

1 Add both households

Enter each household's adults, address, phone and email, and a local contact who holds a spare key. Add any house rules for each home, one per line — for example no smoking, quiet hours or a private room.

2 Set the dates and guests

Enter when the other household stays in your home and when you stay in theirs — for a simultaneous swap, the dates are the same. Set the maximum number of people in each home and list who will be staying.

3 Add cars, pets and a deposit

If cars are included, describe each car and the terms; leave it empty and the agreement says cars are not included. Describe any pets and plants to care for, and add a security deposit if you want one.

4 Choose the cancellation rule and send

Choose whether each household bears its own costs if the swap is cancelled, or whether a late cancellation repays the other's non-refundable travel, and how many days counts as late. Then add the other household as a signer and send.

Tips Before You Send It

  • Check your home insurance and, if you rent, your lease — some insurers and landlords have rules about guests staying while you're away.
  • If you swap cars, have each insurer confirm in writing that the guest drivers are covered, and check that the guests' licences are valid in your country.
  • Swap photos of the home and a short video walk-through before the trip — it prevents disputes about the condition of the home.
  • Leave a printed house manual with appliance instructions, rubbish days and emergency numbers, and share alarm codes separately.
  • Buy travel insurance that covers cancellation, especially if you choose the late-cancellation cost rule.

Sign It Online In Minutes

  1. Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
  2. Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. VergeHR builds the PDF with every signature, date and initials box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
  3. Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in Files and emailed to everyone.
Use the home exchange agreement Template — It’s Free

Home exchange agreement: frequently asked questions

Is money paid in a home exchange?

Usually not. Under this agreement neither household pays rent — each stays in the other's home in return for the use of its own. The only money involved is an optional security deposit and any costs for damage, fines or late cancellation.

Who pays if something is damaged?

The guest household pays the reasonable cost of repairing or replacing anything they or their companions damage, apart from normal wear and tear. If you choose a deposit, the host can deduct agreed damage from it and must explain any deduction in writing.

What if one household has to cancel?

Both households try to find new dates. You choose whether each side bears its own costs, or whether a household that cancels late — without a serious emergency — repays the other's non-refundable travel and accommodation costs.

Is an electronically signed home exchange agreement valid?

Electronic signatures are generally valid for ordinary agreements like this in the US (ESIGN Act and UETA), the UK, the EU (eIDAS) and Canada. VergeHR keeps an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion with the signed PDF.

Is this template free?

Yes. It is free to use with the eSignature app in VergeHR, and the other household doesn't need a VergeHR login to sign.

Use This Template — Free