Whistletree Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

COMPLETIONmonitor is an online 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 mitigation tool.

This software optimises the way you can prove to lender panels that you are, and can remain fully compliant with their requirements, with notifications given on Whistletree’s changes. Even though using the tool is not a prerequisite for Whistletree , demonstrating you can stay up to date with Whistletree’s Handbook requirements is an excellent support to your application to their lender panel and, more importantly, safeguard your panel standing.

The system generates 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, results in reduced PII premiums.

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Banks and building societies often vary their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from Whistletree 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, Whistletree has made 8 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 341.2 days. In total, 2% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Whistletree have been changed since 15/12/2008.

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Recent Changes Include

# Date Assoc. Changes Related To
10.7 28/04/2017 CML
Mortgage Advance and Certificate of Title
In the event of a delayed completion, when and how is advance to be returned to Whistletree (a trading name of TSB Bank plc) by the approved lawyer?
1.11a 28/04/2017 CML
General Mortgage Instructions
Contact details at Whistletree (a trading name of TSB Bank plc) for approved lawyers to obtain mortgage documentation
14.2.1 28/04/2017 CML
Post Completion Conveyancing
Where should approved lawyersfor Whistletree (a trading name of TSB Bank plc) send the title deeds and documents following completion?
6.7.1 09/02/2017 CML
New Build Conveyancing
Whistletree (a trading name of TSB Bank plc) panel conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes

Last update 27/01/2020

Whistletree Solicitor Panel Sample Enquires to our Call Center from members of the public

My fiance and I are FTBs. Within the last couple of days our lawyer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through with a view to exchanging next week. Whistletree have this morning contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our solicitor is not on their conveyancing panel. Is this a problem?
When purchasing a property with the benefit of a mortgage it is usual for the purchaser's solicitors to also act for the purchaser's lender.

In order to act for a bank or building society a law firm has to be on that lender's conveyancing panel. An application has to be made by the law firm to the lender to become a member of the lender's panel and there are increasingly strict criteria which the firm has to satisfy and indeed some lenders now require their panel members to be part of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Accreditation Scheme. Your property lawyers should contact Whistletree and see if they can apply for membership of the Whistletree conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable Whistletree will instruct their own lawyers to represent them. You don't have to instruct a firm on the Whistletree conveyancing panel as you are at liberty to use your preferred lawyers, in which case it will likely add costs, and it may delay matters as you have another set of people involved.

Our lawyer has informed me that he requires ID documents stating that this is part of his obligations as a conveyancer on the Whistletree Conveyancing panel. Is this right?
Anti-terror and anti-money-laundering rules require solicitors and licensed conveyancers to verify the identity of the person or body they are dealing with before they can accept their conveyancing business. The Client Care letter that you need to sign will no doubt confirm this. Your lawyer is right that Whistletree also require certain documents to be viewed. If a you refuse to provide ID verification documents, your conveyancer would not be able to accept instructions from you. Your lawyer also has obligations to obtain certain documents in accordance with Whistletree CML Handbook requirements last updated on Whistletree
I need to find a Whistletree panel solicitor in Belfast. Can you assist?
Unfortunately it’s not apparent why you need a Whistletree panel solicitor but in any event, if you can not find one on our search tool you will need to speak directly to Whistletree to find out which solicitors in Whistletree 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
I am attempting to get my ex-wife removed the mortgage deeds. Can Whistletree really insist on which solicitor I can or can not retain?
You can use any solicitor you like but Whistletree 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 Whistletree solicitors panel
I previously instructed online solicitors based in Birmingham who are on the Whistletree solicitor panel. They have just invoiced me a separate fee of £195 for the legal aspects of the Whistletree mortgage. Is this an additional conveyancing fee set by Whistletree?
Unfortunately, as long as it is in their Terms and Conditions or Quote then yes your solicitors can charge a fee for this. This fee is not set by Whistletree but by your lawyers. Some firms on the Whistletree will charge an ‘acting for lender’ fee and others do not.
I currently have a mortgage with with Whistletree. Conveyancing was finalised months ago. If I am intending to rent out my property and do not currently have a buy-to-let mortgage do I need to remortgage to a BTL mortgage or inform Whistletree?
Whistletree must be informed of your intention in advance of renting your property as this is likely to be a breach of Whistletree’s mortgage conditions. In many cases banks or building societies will permit you to let out your former home without needing to switch to a buy-to-let mortgage but some lenders will add a surcharge to your mortgage rate to reflect the higher risk. You should contact Whistletree directly. It should not be necessary to do this via a Whistletree conveyancing panel firm.
I recently had an offer accepted on an apartment. My financial adviser recommended their conveyancers I paid an upfront payment of 175. Soon after the conveyancers contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the Whistletree conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the Whistletree panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.