Kensington Mortgage Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

Lexsure’s COMPLETIONmonitor is web-based pre- and post-completion checklist for residential conveyancing lawyers. Supported by the Council of Mortgage Lenders and professional indemnity insures. It is a unique risk management tool.

This software assists the way you can demonstrate to lender panels that you are, and can remain fully compliant with their instructions, with notifications given on Kensington Mortgage’s changes. Even though utilising COMPLETIONmonitor is not a condition for acceptance on the Kensington Mortgage panel, demonstrating you can stay up to date with Kensington Mortgage’s Handbook requirements is an excellent support to your panel application and, just as importantly, safeguard your panel status.

COMPLETIONmonitor creates real-time alerts, automatically produces COLP and CQS reports, and will increase your firm's efficiency. In addition it is user friendly, cost-effective and, for many firms, results in reduced PII premiums.

Find a Law Firm approved by Kensington Mortgage

Lenders frequently change their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from Kensington Mortgage are not guidelines, they are instructions from a client. As with many clients, instructions can change - and they do change, over time:

A Timeline of Policy Changes


Since 2008, Kensington Mortgage has made 518 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 5.3 days. In total, 96% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Kensington Mortgage have been changed since 15/12/2008.

To find out more about lender panel compliance,

Book a Personalised Demo

Kensington Mortgage Conveyancing Panel : Questions and Answers from members of the public

I am progressing with the sale of my apartment and the estate agent has just telephoned to advise that the buyers are switching law firm. The reason given is that Kensington Mortgage will only deal with solicitors on their conveyancing panel. Why would a leading mortgage company only engage with certain 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 Nationwide , have reviewed and reduced their conveyancing panel– in some cases removing conveyancing firms who have worked with them for more than 15 years.

Lenders point to the increase in fraud as the reason 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 hearing daily from firms 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 getting closer to an exchange and my mum and dad having transferred the 10% deposit to my lawyer. I am now advised that as the deposit has not come from me my lawyer needs to disclose this to my lender Kensington Mortgage. Apparently, being on the Kensington Mortgage conveyancing panel and acting on their behalf he must inform Kensington Mortgage if the balance of the mortgage advance is not just from me. I informed the bank about my parent’s contribution when I applied for the home loan so is it really necessary for this now to be an issue?
Your lawyer is obliged to check with Kensington Mortgage to make sure that they are aware that the balance of the purchase price is not from your own funds. Your solicitor can only report this to Kensington Mortgage if you agree, failing which, your lawyer must cease to continue acting.
I see that you have a post code search directory listing firms on the Kensington Mortgage conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a commission if I retain them for my own house purchase?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Kensington Mortgage conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to the any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint.
I would like to get my former partner removed the mortgage deeds. Can Kensington Mortgage really insist on which solicitor I can or can not retain?
You can use any solicitor you like but Kensington Mortgage then has the right to appoint a different solicitor to act for them at your expense. It might be more cost effective and quicker to instruct a lawyer who is on the Kensington Mortgage solicitors panel
I'm spending time looking at houses and am about to put in an offer. Is it premature to have a solicitor in place? I will be getting a mortgage with Kensington Mortgage
It would be sensible to have your start your search soon rather than later. After you have chosen your lawyer and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on the the EA. As you are getting a mortgage with Kensington Mortgage , make sure you remember to check that your lawyer is on the Kensington Mortgage conveyancing panel.
The for formalities of my remortgage has taken place with a mortgage from Kensington Mortgage. Conveyancing was of an acceptable standard but I would like to complain about Kensington Mortgage. How does one go about formally complaining?
Most banks and building societies have complaints procedures. Your first port of call should be one of the Kensington Mortgage branches or the Customer Services Department at Kensington Mortgage head office. Ordinarily complaints to Kensington Mortgage are sorted out very quickly. However if you are not satisfied that the matter is resolved you can write to the Financial Ombudsman Service who will take matters further.
I can not work out if my mortgage offer obliges me to make sure the lease term for the flat is extended prior to the completion date . I have telephoned Kensington Mortgage on various occasions and told it wasn't a problem and they would lend. My solicitor - who is on the Kensington Mortgage conveyancing panel- telephoned and was told not they would not lend in accordance with their CML Handbook minimum lease term requirements. Who do I believe?
Your lawyer has to follow the CML Handbook Part 2 requirements for Kensington Mortgage. Unless your lawyer obtains specific confirmation in writing that Kensington Mortgage will go ahead your lawyer has no choice but to refrain from exchanging contract and committing you to the purchase. We would suggest that you ask Kensington Mortgage to contact your lawyer in writing confirming that they will accept the remaining number of years left on the lease.