RBS - Virgin One Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

COMPLETIONmonitor is an online pre- and post-completion checklist for property lawyers. Supported by the CML and professional indemnity insures. It is a unique risk mitigation tool.

This system is the only way you can prove to lender panels that you are, and can stay fully compliant with their instructions, with alerts on RBS - Virgin One’s changes. Even though using COMPLETIONmonitor is not a condition for being on the RBS - Virgin One panel, demonstrating you can stay up to date with RBS - Virgin One’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 compliance and CQS reports, and will increase your firm's efficiency. In addition it is user friendly, cost-effective and, for some firms, leads to a PII saving.

Find a Law Firm approved by RBS - Virgin One

Mortgage companies often change their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from RBS - Virgin 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, RBS - Virgin One has made 241 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 11.3 days. In total, 55% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for RBS - Virgin One have been changed since 15/12/2008.

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Recent Changes Include

# Date Assoc. Changes Related To
6.7.1 10/10/2019 CML
New Build Conveyancing
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Virgin One approved conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes
5.7.1a 02/12/2016 CML
Flying Freeholds
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Virgin One approved lawyers clarification as to whether they lend on flying freeholds
16.3.1 31/05/2016 CML
Transfer of Equity
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Virgin One clarification as to whether they have a standard form of Transfer of Equity/Deed of Covenant?
6.14.1 30/11/2015 CML
Building Insurance
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Virgin One approved lawyers additional requirements concerning building insurance
6.7.1 25/08/2015 CML
New Build Conveyancing
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Virgin One panel conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes
5.5.1b 01/12/2014 CML
conveyancing requirements in terms of time for building regulation consents
6.14.1b 01/12/2014 CML
buildings insurance in joint names or lender interest noted
6.14.1c 01/12/2014 CML
buildings insurance total sum insured calculation
6.14.3 01/12/2014 CML
notification of non-renewal/cancellation for buildings insurance policy
6.14.1 01/12/2014 CML
Building Insurance
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Virgin One approved lawyers additional requirements concerning building insurance

Last update 10/01/2020

Examples of recent questions relating to the RBS - Virgin One Conveyancing Panel from members of the public

On what basis could a law firm be removed from the RBS - Virgin One approved conveyancing panel?
According to a recent survey report by the solicitors regulator three quarters of law firms had been removed from a lender panel. The top reasons in order are :
  1. lack of transactions
  2. the lawyer is a sole practitioner
  3. as part of the HSBC panel reduction
  4. regulatory contact by SRA
  5. accidental removal. We are not aware of the specific or common criteria for removal by RBS - Virgin One
Our son-in-law is purchasing a newly built flat with a mortgage from RBS - Virgin One. His lawyer has advised him of a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. Who needs to receive the form?
The document is intended to provide information to the main parties involved in the purchase. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the RBS - Virgin One conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the surveyor when requested.

The Developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it.

The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the RBS - Virgin One conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.

Is it necessary during the course of the conveyancing process to visit the offices of the RBS - Virgin One conveyancing panel solicitor to execute the legal charge? If so, I will appoint a lawyer who conducts conveyancing in Bristol so that I can attend their offices when needed.
As opposed to twenty 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 Bristol .
My house is up for sale and I have a buyer. Does my solicitor have to be on the RBS - Virgin One conveyancing panel in order to deal with paying off my mortgage?
Ordinarily, even if your lawyer is not on the RBS - Virgin 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.
We have agreed to purchase a house.One unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. RBS - Virgin One have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
As your lender is RBS - Virgin One your lawyer must to check the RBS - Virgin One conveyancing instructions contained in the Part of CML Handbook for RBS - Virgin One . The CML Handbook contains minimum requirements for solar panel roof-space leases, and solicitors are required to report to RBS - Virgin One where a lease does not meet these requirements. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales. Requirements for Scotland are due in the near future.
I was thinking of purchasing my friend’s property. Assuming we can agree a figure, what’s the best way to move forward? I plan to obtain a mortgage with RBS - Virgin One. 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 RBS - Virgin One involved you will need to appoint a solicitor on the RBS - Virgin One 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 RBS - Virgin One. Feel free to use our search tool to look for a licensed conveyancer or solicitor on the RBS - Virgin One conveyancing panel.
RBS - Virgin One 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 RBS - Virgin One or your broker and complete any relevant paperwork. RBS - Virgin One will tell you what documents they want. RBS - Virgin One 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. RBS - Virgin One 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.