RBS - Direct Line One Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

COMPLETIONmonitor is web-based pre- and post-completion checklist for property lawyers. Supported by the CML and PI insurers. COMPLETIONmonitor is a unique risk mitigation tool.

This system facilitates the way you can prove to lender panels that you are, and can stay fully compliant with their instructions, with alerts on RBS - Direct Line One’s changes. While using the tool is not a prerequisite for RBS - Direct Line One , demonstrating you can stay up to date with RBS - Direct Line One’s Handbook requirements is a helpful support to your panel application and, just as importantly, protect your firm’s panel status.

The software generates real-time alerts, automatically produces regulatory and CQS reports, and will improve your firm's efficiency. It is also user friendly, cost-effective and, for many firms, leads to reduced PII premiums.

Find a Law Firm approved by RBS - Direct Line One

Mortgage companies frequently change their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from RBS - Direct Line One are not guidelines, they are instructions from a client. As with many clients, instructions can change - and they do change, frequently:

A Timeline of Policy Changes


Since 2008, RBS - Direct Line One has made 177 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 15.4 days. In total, 44% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for RBS - Direct Line One have been changed since 15/12/2008.

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Recent Changes Include

# Date Assoc. Changes Related To
5.7.1b 02/12/2016 CML
Freehold Flats
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Direct Line Mortgages approved lawyers clarification as to whether they lend on freehold flats
Flying Freehold Indemnity Insurance
5.19.1 19/07/2016 CML
Shared Ownership and Shared Equity
Contact details at The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Direct Line Mortgages for conveyancing panel lawyers for lending on affordable housing, shared equity and shared ownership and where relevant The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Direct Line Mortgages requirements.
6.7.1 17/11/2015 CML
New Build Conveyancing
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Direct Line Mortgages approved conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes
6.7.4 13/01/2015 CML
New Build Conveyancing
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Direct Line Mortgages panel conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : will the The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Direct Line Mortgages proceed if the property does not have the benefit of a new home warranty scheme
6.14.1 04/12/2014 CML
Building Insurance
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Direct Line Mortgages panel lawyers additional requirements concerning building insurance
3.1.6 01/12/2014 CML
verification of identity
6.14.1a 01/12/2014 CML
contact point if property is not insured in accordance with lender requirement
6.14.1b 01/12/2014 CML
buildings insurance in joint names or lender interest noted
6.14.2 01/12/2014 CML
requirement that all insurance risks are included
6.14.3 01/12/2014 CML
notification of non-renewal/cancellation for buildings insurance policy

Last update 18/11/2019

Frequently asked questions relating to the RBS - Direct Line Conveyancing Panel from members of the public

I am in the process of selling my flat and the EA has just e-mailed to warn that the purchasers are switching law firm. The excuse is that RBS - Direct Line will only engage with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. Why would a leading mortgage company only deal with specific solicitors?
Lenders have always had panels of law firms they are willing to work with, but in the past few years big names such as Santander, have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for decades.

Banks blame a rise in fraud by way of justification for the cull – criteria have been tightened and a smaller panel should be easier to keep an eye on. No lender will say how many solicitors have been dropped, claiming the information is commercially sensitive, but the Law Society says it is being contacted daily by practices that have been removed from panels, or have other concerns about them. Some do not even realise they have been dropped until contacted by a borrower who has instructed them as might be the situation in your buyer’s case. Your purchasers are unlikely to have any sway in the decision.

We are due to exchange on the purchase a house but as a result of damage from the recent storms I have agreed compensation from the seller of £3k approx by way of a reduction in the price. This was going to be dealt with as part of the conveyancing process but my mortgage company RBS - Direct Line will not agree to this. Why was RBS - Direct Line even consulted?
Your lawyer being on the RBS - Direct Line conveyancing panel is duty bound to inform RBS - Direct Line of any changes to the purchase price. If you were to refuse your lawyers to disclose the reduction to RBS - Direct Line then they would have to discontinue acting for you and RBS - Direct Line.
I am purchasing a property and require a conveyancing solicitor in who is on the RBS - Direct Line solicitor. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a firm?
Our service is a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for RBS - Direct Line . We don’t recommend any particular firm.
I am selling my house. Does my solicitor have to be on the RBS - Direct Line conveyancing panel in order to deal with paying off my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the RBS - Direct Line conveyancing panel they can still act for you on your sale. it might be that the lender will not release the original deeds (if applicable and increasingly irrelevant) until after the mortgage is paid off. You should speak to your lawyer directly before you start the process though to ensure that there is no problem as lenders are changing their requirements fairly frequently at the moment.
We have a mortgage agreed in principle with RBS - Direct Line. Solicitors have been instructed? What is the average time that one could expect to receive a mortgage offer from RBS - Direct Line?
Some lenders take longer than others. Have RBS - Direct Line conducted the survey? Have you advised RBS - Direct Line as your lawyers details and checked that your lawyer is on the RBS - Direct Line conveyancing panel? sometimes it can take as long as six weeks for a mortgage offer to be issued
The mortgage over my property is with RBS - Direct Line. Conveyancing has been completed some time ago. Should I wish to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform RBS - Direct Line?
RBS - Direct Line must be informed of your intention in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of RBS - Direct Line’s mortgage conditions. It may be that RBS - Direct Line will allow you to rent out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact RBS - Direct Line directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a RBS - Direct Line conveyancing panel lawyer.
At last I have had an offer on an apartment accepted, but there is a chain. The vendors have offered on somewhere, but not been accepted yet, and have viewings of other properties in the pipeline. My conveyancing solicitor has been instructed. What do I do now? When should I get the mortgage app going with RBS - Direct Line?
It is usual to have concerns where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to be too out of pocket too early (mortgage application is approx £1k, then survey/valuation, conveyancing search costs, etc). First you should check that your solicitor is on the RBS - Direct Line conveyancing panel. As to the next stages this very much depends on the circumstances of your case, desire for this property and on the state of the market. In a hot mortgage some buyers would pally for the mortgage with RBS - Direct Line and pay for the valuation and only if it comes back ok would they pay their solicitor to press on with searches.