The Mortgage Lender Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

COMPLETIONmonitor is web-based pre- and post-completion checklist for property lawyers. Supported by the Council of Mortgage Lenders and PI insurers. COMPLETIONmonitor is a unique risk management tool.

This software assists the way you can demonstrate to lender panels that you are, and can stay fully compliant with their instructions, with notifications given on The Mortgage Lender’s changes. Notwithstanding that using COMPLETIONmonitor is not a condition for being on the The Mortgage Lender panel, demonstrating you can stay up to date with The Mortgage Lender’s Handbook requirements is an excellent support to your panel application and, more importantly, safeguard your panel standing.

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

Book a The Mortgage Lender Demo for this Panel Compliance Tool

Banks and building societies often change their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from The Mortgage Lender 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, The Mortgage Lender has made 121 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 22.6 days. In total, 33% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for The Mortgage Lender have been changed since 15/12/2008.

To find out more about lender panel compliance,

Book a Personalised Demo

Recent Changes Include

# Date Assoc. Changes Related To
6.4.4 26/03/2018 CML
Disclosing Incentives
The Mortgage Lender Limited approved lawyers additional requirements concerning reporting incentives
1.11b 14/12/2017 CML
General Mortgage Instructions
Contact details at The Mortgage Lender Limited for conveyancing panel lawyers to where standard mortgage documentation is inappropriate
4.3 14/12/2017 CML
Mortage valuation
Contact details at The Mortgage Lender Limited for conveyancing panel lawyers where assumptions stated by the valuer are incorrect
5.13.1 14/12/2017 CML
Balance of Monies
Contact details at The Mortgage Lender Limited for conveyancing panel lawyers where borrower is not providing balance of purchase price from funds/proposing to give second charge.
Insolvency Act Indemnity Insurance Deed of Gift Indemnity Insurance
5.14.10 14/12/2017 CML
Leasehold Conveyancing
The Mortgage Lender Limited panel lawyers leasehold conveyancing requirements : contact for service charge matters
6.3.1 14/12/2017 CML
Purchase Price
Contact details at The Mortgage Lender Limited for conveyancing panel lawyers to used where there are any issues relating to purchase price.
6.5.1 14/12/2017 CML
Vacant Possession on Completion
Contact details at The Mortgage Lender Limited for approved lawyers were vacant possession is not being given.
5.2.1 14/12/2017 CML
Seller not registered
Contact details at The Mortgage Lender Limited for conveyancing panel lawyers for where the seller is not the owner or registered proprietor and is not listed in the exceptions in the CML Handbook P1.
5.7.1c 14/12/2017 CML
Flying Freeholds
Contact details at The Mortgage Lender Limited for conveyancing panel lawyers where for reporting purposes where the property is a freehold flat or flying freehold, to which contact point must this be reported and where The Mortgage Lender Limited lend on such properties
Flying Freehold Indemnity Insurance
9.2 17/10/2017 CML
Defective Title Insurance
The Mortgage Lender Limited clarification to approved lawyers clarification as to limit of indemnity insurance The Mortgage Lender Limited require
Adverse Possession Indemnity Insurance Possessory Title Indemnity Insurance Missing Deeds Indemnity Insurance Defective Title Indemnity Insurance

Last update 05/11/2018

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

I instructed a solicitor to carry out on my purchase six weeks ago having applied for a mortgage with The Mortgage Lender. The firm reassured me that they are on The Mortgage Lender conveyancing panel and gave me their panel reference. The Mortgage Lender then called me to say that their panel number was dormant and would need to be reactivated. What do I do from here? Do I instruct a different law firm listed on the conveyancing panel for The Mortgage Lender?
You may be very frustrated with the lawyer but if it only go take a few more days they it may be worth waiting as, depending on how far progressed you are you may end up delaying the transaction by a number of weeks if you need to replace your solicitor You may wish to enlist the help of your broker to check with the The Mortgage Lender as to how long they think it will take to get the firm to get back on the panel.
Expecting to complete my purchase next Friday. I have now been asked to send a copy of my building insurance schedule by my solicitor as he says that he has to check this in has capacity as lawyer for The Mortgage Lender. What risks do The Mortgage Lender expect the insurance to cover?
All property lawyers on the The Mortgage Lender conveyancing panel would need to check that the following risks are covered fire; lightning; aircraft; explosion; earthquake; storm; flood; escape of water or oil; riot; malicious damage; theft or attempted theft; falling trees and branches and aerials; subsidence; heave;landslip;collision;accidental damage to underground services;professional fees, demolition and site clearance costs; and public liability to anyone else. There are some other issues such as the level of excess that are set out in The Mortgage Lender’s Part 2 requirements of the CML Handbook (last updated on The Mortgage Lender). Being on the The Mortgage Lender conveyancing panel your lawyer is expect to follow these requirements.
How up to date is your database of lawyers on the The Mortgage Lender conveyancing panel? Do The Mortgage Lender send you an updated list?
The firms themselves provide us confirmation that they are on the The Mortgage Lender conveyancing panel as opposed to being supplied with a list from The Mortgage Lender directly.
I am trying to get my former partner taken off the mortgage deeds. Can The Mortgage Lender really insist on which solicitor I can or can not instruct?
You can use any solicitor you like but The Mortgage Lender 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 The Mortgage Lender solicitors panel
Hi, thinking about buying a house off my mate. Assuming we can agree a figure, what’s the best way to proceed? I hope to get a mortgage with The Mortgage Lender. Is there anyway to cut out the solicitors to save on the costs? My dad reckons back in the day he did a lot of it himself, just went into the land registry office and providing them with the info they needed himself
If you are getting a mortgage with The Mortgage Lender involved you will need to appoint a solicitor on the The Mortgage Lender conveyancing panel. We would not encourage you to both use the same solicitors' firm. There are clear conflict of interest issues and it's not going to make a huge difference to the speed of the overall process. So as not to hold things us you should pass on your solicitors details to The Mortgage Lender. Feel free to use our search tool to look for a licensed conveyancer or solicitor on the The Mortgage Lender conveyancing panel.
I have had an offer accepted on a apartment I spoke to a solicitor recommended by my mum and he suggested retaining a law firm approved by The Mortgage Lender. The estate agent recommended two local firms so I asked The Mortgage Lender if the 2 suggested solicitors are approved, which they are not. The Mortgage Lender suggested that either firm can fill out the appropriate forms to become approved. Do I (1) save myself the aggravation and use one of The Mortgage Lender 's conveyancing panel solicitors (2) Use the local solicitor and accept there may be delays etc as they go through the approval process.
Ask The Mortgage Lender to suggest a law firm in your location. Most banks have lawyers on their panel throughout the UK. You can also use our search tool at the top of this page to search for a lawyer on the The Mortgage Lender conveyancing panel based on location. If you particularly like the sound of one of the local lawyers that you have spoken to ask them if they would go onto The Mortgage Lender conveyancing panel as it may only take about 2-3 weeks. As long as they meet The Mortgage Lender’s requirements it can be a very simple job for the solicitor. Other stuff will be going on in parallel (as you are at an early stage) so it may not delay matters.
Can I register a complaint to The Mortgage Lender about the lawyers being on the The Mortgage Lender conveyancing panel?
There is little point in complaining directly to The Mortgage Lender. Every solicitor firm and conveyancer must have a complaints procedure. Usually one can find this information from the solicitor’s or conveyancer’s website or ask at their office. They must tell you about it if you ask.

The Legal Ombudsman will make sure that your complaint is properly dealt with by the solicitor. It can also advise you how to complain.

If a licensed conveyancer does not have a complaints procedure or will not tell you about it, contact the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), which will make sure that your complaint is properly dealt with by the conveyancer. Please see below for more information.