The Mortgage Business Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

COMPLETIONmonitor is an online pre- and post-completion checklist for residential conveyancing lawyers. Supported by the CML and PI insurers. COMPLETIONmonitor is a unique risk management tool.

This software is the only way you can prove to lender panels that you are, and can remain fully compliant with their instructions, with alerts on The Mortgage Business’s changes. Notwithstanding that using the software is not a condition for being on the The Mortgage Business panel, demonstrating you can remain up to date with The Mortgage Business’s Handbook requirements is an excellent support to your application to their lender panel and, more importantly, safeguard your firm’s panel status.

The system creates real-time alerts, automatically produces compliance and CQS reports, and will improve your firm's efficiency. In addition it is user friendly, cost-effective and, for some firms, results in reduced PII premiums.

Find a Law Firm approved by The Mortgage Business

Banks and building societies often vary their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from The Mortgage Business 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, The Mortgage Business has made 130 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 21.0 days. In total, 22% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for The Mortgage Business have been changed since 15/12/2008.

To find out more about lender panel compliance,

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Recent Changes Include

# Date Assoc. Changes Related To
6.7.1 07/03/2018 CML
New Build Conveyancing
The Mortgage Business approved conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes
16.5.3a 16/01/2018 CML
Deed of Variation
The Mortgage Business requirements for approved lawyers as to whether The Mortgage Business need to be sent a Deed of Variation
16.5.3d 16/01/2018 CML
Option Agreements
Contact details at The Mortgage Business for conveyancing panel lawyers to send option agreements .
6.7.1 21/11/2016 CML
New Build Conveyancing
The Mortgage Business approved conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes
16.1.1 24/04/2015 CML
Title Documents
The Mortgage Business details for requesting Title Documentation
4.5b 24/04/2015 CML
Certificates of Title
Contact details at The Mortgage Business for conveyancing panel/approved lawyers where certificate of title should be sent
5.5.1a 01/12/2014 CML
requirements in terms of time for planning consents
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
14.1.5 01/12/2014 CML
Post Completion Conveyancing
Does the The Mortgage Business need to be sent the original mortgage deed and/or any other original title documents by their approved lawyer ?

Last update 22/05/2019

The Mortgage Business Conveyancing Panel Sample Enquires to our Call Center from members of the public

I have just been informed by my IFA that my lawyer is not on the The Mortgage Business Conveyancing panel. What can I do to be sure that this is correct?
The first thing you need to do is to contact your lawyer directly. You lawyer should advise you what has happened. If they are not on the panel they could put your in touch with solicitors on the conveyancing panel for The Mortgage Business.
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 The Mortgage Business will not agree to this. Why was The Mortgage Business even consulted?
Your lawyer being on the The Mortgage Business conveyancing panel is duty bound to inform The Mortgage Business of any changes to the purchase price. If you were to refuse your lawyers to disclose the reduction to The Mortgage Business then they would have to discontinue acting for you and The Mortgage Business.
I need to find a The Mortgage Business panel solicitor in Stirling. Can you assist?
Unfortunately it’s not apparent why you need a The Mortgage Business panel solicitor but in any event, if you can not find one on our search tool you will need to speak directly to The Mortgage Business to find out which solicitors in The Mortgage Business are on their panel. If you do find such a firm not listed please direct them to our site to list. At a fee of one pound per month it is not expensive to register on the site
The lawyers that I recently instructed on my house acquisition in Newcastle has suddenly shut down. I chose them because I needed a firm on the The Mortgage Business conveyancing panel and my family lawyer was not. I gave my credit card details for them to take £175 for searches. What should be my next steps?
If you have an estate agent involved then let them know immediately so that they can let the sellers know that there may be a slight delay due to the problems encountered. Hopefully they will be sympathetic and urge their lawyer to send a new set of papers to your new solicitors. You should appoint new lawyers that are on the The Mortgage Business conveyancing panel and notify the lender. If you have paid over any money it will hopefully be held by the SRA as money in an intervened firm's bank accounts is transferred to the SRA. Then, the SRA or the intervention agent looks at the intervened firm's accounts to work out who the money belongs to. To claim your money you will need to contact the SRA. If the SRA cannot return money you are owed from the firm's bank accounts, or if they can only return part of the money, you can apply to the Compensation Fund for a grant. Your new lawyers may be able to help
My fiance and I are at the point of viewing houses and now considering a potential offer. Should I already have a conveyancer appointed at this stage? I I am planning to take a home loan with The Mortgage Business
You should start obtaining conveyancing quotes from solicitors ASAP. Once you decide who you want to use and once your offer is accepted you can instruct them to work for you and pass their details on the the estate agent. As you are getting a mortgage with The Mortgage Business , ask your prospective lawyers check they are on the The Mortgage Business conveyancing panel otherwise they can't do the mortgage legal work.
I have instructed a lawyer having made sure that they are on the The Mortgage Business conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property? Or Having read lots 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 The Mortgage Business conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
The Mortgage Business will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually The Mortgage Business 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 The Mortgage Business you could contact your them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors.
The Mortgage Business have agreed my mortgage in principle, my offer on house has been accepted, now what?
The estate agent will want to know who your solicitors are (make sure these solicitors are on the lenders panel). Call up The Mortgage Business or your broker and complete any relevant paperwork. The Mortgage Business will tell you what documents they want. The Mortgage Business will instruct a valuer. The valuer will get in touch with the estate agent or seller to book an appointment. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes about week to get a mortgage offer. The Mortgage Business will issue the offer to you and your lawyer. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing.