Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

Lexsure’s COMPLETIONmonitor is an online pre- and post-completion checklist for property lawyers. Supported by the Council of Mortgage Lenders and PI insurers such as AmTrust. It is a unique risk mitigation tool.

This software assists the way you can prove to lender panels that you are, and can stay fully compliant with their instructions, with automatic updates on Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One’s changes. Even though using COMPLETIONmonitor is not a condition for being on the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One panel, demonstrating you can remain up to date with Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One’s Handbook requirements is a helpful support to your panel application and, more importantly, safeguard your panel standing.

COMPLETIONmonitor creates real-time alerts, automatically produces SRA and CQS reports, and will increase your firm's efficiency. It is also simply to use, cost-effective and, for many firms, leads to a PII saving.

Find a Law Firm approved by Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One

Lenders frequently change their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One 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, Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One has made 197 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 13.9 days. In total, 51% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest 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 Natwest One Account approved lawyers clarification as to whether they lend on freehold flats
Flying Freehold Indemnity Insurance
10.2b 05/07/2016 CML
Mortgage Advance and Certificate of Title
What is the minimum number of days notice The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Natwest One Account require ahead of sending the mortgage advance?
6.7.1 17/11/2015 CML
New Build Conveyancing
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Natwest One Account approved conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes
6.7.1 25/08/2015 CML
New Build Conveyancing
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Natwest One Account 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 Natwest One Account panel conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : will the The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Natwest One Account proceed if the property does not have the benefit of a new home warranty scheme
5.5.1b 01/12/2014 CML
conveyancing requirements in terms of time for building regulation consents
6.14.1d 01/12/2014 CML
maximum excess re building insurance
6.14.2 01/12/2014 CML
requirement that all insurance risks are included
10.7 24/09/2014 CML
Mortgage Advance and Certificate of Title
In the event of a delayed completion, when and how is advance to be returned to The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Natwest One Account by the approved lawyer?
6.7.1 16/09/2014 CML
New Build Conveyancing
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Natwest One Account approved conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes

Last update 11/01/2019

Q and A’s regarding the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One Conveyancing Panel from members of the public

We are hoping to buy a 2 bedroom apartment in Leeds with a mortgage from Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One. We have a lawyer but Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One says she’s not on their "panel". We have to appoint one of the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One panel solicitors or keep our solicitor and pay for one of their panel ones to represent them. This seems very unfair; Can we not simply insist that Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One use our lawyer?
No, not really. The mortgage offered to you is subject to its terms and conditions, one of which will be that lawyers will on the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One conveyancing panel. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could choose one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. Another option that might be available is for your solicitors to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One
We are only a couple days away from an exchange and my parents having sent the 10% deposit to my lawyer. I am now advised that as the deposit has not come from me my lawyer needs to make a notification to my lender Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One. I am advised that, being on the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One conveyancing panel and acting on their behalf he must inform Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One if the balance of the mortgage advance is not just from me. I disclosed to the bank about my parent’s contribution when I applied for the mortgage so is it really necessary for this now to be an issue?
Your lawyer is obliged to check with Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One 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 Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One if you agree, failing which, your lawyer must cease to continue acting.
Do I need to attend the offices of the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One conveyancing panel solicitor to sign the legal charge? If so, I will choose one who does conveyancing in Manchester so that I can attend their offices if necessary.
As opposed to ten years ago, most lenders no longer require their conveyancing panel solicitor to witness the borrowers signature. You will still be obliged to provide ID Documents and there are still distinct advantages to using a local solicitor, in your case a conveyancing solicitor in Manchester .
My house is up for sale and I have a buyer. Does my solicitor have to be on the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One conveyancing panel in order to deal with redeeming my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One 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.
Are all Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One conveyancing panel?
Some major banks and building societies now use the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join their approved list of firms.
My offer was accepted on a property on the 17th January 2014, valuation was booked 3 days later, received a clean bill of health. Property lawyer retained, so the only thing outstanding was my mortgage offer. Having made daily calls to Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One and chasing them on my offer I have now been told that my offer will not be issued unless the lawyer is on the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One conveyancing panel. Can the lender hold off the offer?
A lender would not issue an offer until they have details of a lawyer on their panel. It can take a few weeks for Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One to deal with your lawyers application to be on the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One conveyancing panel. There's no guarantee that your solicitors will be accepted.
After shopping around on the internet I have found a solicitor having checked that they are on the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property? Or Having digested plenty of house buying,I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my solicitor - who is on the Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey. You may wish to consider appointing your own surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller. or Your lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with Royal Bank of Scotland -Natwest One you could contact your them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors.