Zephyr Mortgages Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

COMPLETIONmonitor is an online pre- and post-completion checklist for property lawyers. Supported by the Council of Mortgage Lenders and professional indemnity insures. COMPLETIONmonitor is a unique risk management tool.

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

The system creates real-time alerts, automatically produces SRA and CQS reports, and will improve your firm's efficiency. In addition it is simply to use, cost-effective and, for many firms, leads to a PII saving.

Find a Law Firm approved by Zephyr Mortgages

Banks and building societies often change their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from Zephyr Mortgages 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, Zephyr Mortgages has made 49 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 55.7 days. In total, 25% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Zephyr Mortgages 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
5.14.9 25/10/2019 CML
Leasehold Conveyancing
Contact details at Zephyr Mortgages for approved lawyers for matters relating to the lease.
6.7.1 27/09/2019 CML
New Build Conveyancing
Zephyr Mortgages panel conveyancer requirements for New Build Conveyancing : Home Warranty Schemes
16.4.1 31/10/2018 CML
Consent to Let
Contact details at Zephyr Mortgages for consent to let.
17.1.1 31/10/2018 CML
Redemption Statements
Contact details at Zephyr Mortgages for approved lawyers to request redemption statements .
17.2.1a 31/10/2018 CML
Redemption Payments
Where do solicitors and conveyancers send the discharge and repayment remittance in relation to Zephyr Mortgages mortgages ?
3.2.4 31/10/2018 CML
Sellers not having Legal Representation
Contact details at Zephyr Mortgages for conveyancing panel lawyers to used where Zephyr Mortgages needs to be notified when the seller does not have legal representation.
5.1.1 31/10/2018 CML
Properties owned for less than 6 months
Contact details at Zephyr Mortgages for approved lawyers where there is a restriction on use.
6.2.1 31/10/2018 CML
Property Description
Contact details at Zephyr Mortgages for approved lawyers to used where there are any discrepancies in property's description.
5.2.1 31/10/2018 CML
Seller not registered
Contact details at Zephyr Mortgages 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 31/10/2018 CML
Flying Freeholds
Contact details at Zephyr Mortgages for approved 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 Zephyr Mortgages lend on such properties

Last update 23/01/2020

Zephyr Mortgages Conveyancing Panel Sample Enquires to our Call Center from members of the public

My husband and I are FTBs. Within the 48 hours our lawyer has sent a preliminary report and documents to look through in anticipation of exchanging contracts shortly. Zephyr Mortgages have this evening contacted us to inform me that there is now an issue as our conveyancer 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 Quality Scheme. Your property lawyers should contact Zephyr Mortgages and see if they can apply for membership of the Zephyr Mortgages conveyancing panel, but if that is not viable Zephyr Mortgages will instruct their own solicitors to act. You are not legally obliged to appoint a law firm on the Zephyr Mortgages 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 are adding another lawyer into the mix.

My wife and I changing mortgage lender for our penthouse with Zephyr Mortgages. We have a son 19 who lives with us. The solicitor on the Zephyr Mortgages conveyancing panel requested us to identify any adults other than ourselves who reside at the property. Our lawyer has now e-mailed a document for our son to sign, waiving any legal rights in the event that the apartment is forfeited by the lender. I have a couple of questions (1) Is this document specific to the Zephyr Mortgages conveyancing panel as he never had to sign this form when we bought 4 years ago (2) In signing this form is our son in any way compromising his right to inherit the property?
On the face of it your lawyer has done nothing wrong as it is established procedure for any occupier who is aged 17 or over to sign the necessary Consent Form, which is purely to state that any rights he has in the property are postponed and secondary to Zephyr Mortgages .This is solely used to protect the Zephyr Mortgages if the property were re-possessed so that in such circumstances, your son would be legally obliged to leave.

It does not impact your son’s right to inherit the apartment. Please note that if your son were to inherit and the mortgage in favour of Zephyr Mortgages had not been discharged, he would be liable to take over the loan or pay it off, but other than that, there is nothing stopping him from keeping the property in accordance with your will or the rules of intestacy.

I see that you have a search directory listing law firms on the Zephyr Mortgages conveyancing panel. Do firms pay you a commission if I appoint them for my conveyancing?
We are a listing service only for law firms wishing to communicate if they are on the Zephyr Mortgages conveyancing panel or other lender panels. We do not charge referral fees to the any conveyancer that you subsequently appoint.
I am purchasing a semi-detached house and getting a mortgage with Zephyr Mortgages. How practical is it for me to do the conveyancing?
Leaving aside the complexities and merits of DIY conveyancing you will have to appoint a solicitor on the Zephyr Mortgages conveyancing panel to look after their interests. Most people therefore find it easier to let the solicitor act for them and the lender. Furthermore there is minimal cost savings to made in you doing to conveyancing for yourself and another lawyer conducting the conveyancing for the lender. Please feel free to use the search tool to find a lawyer on the Zephyr Mortgages conveyancing panel in your location.
Are all Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Zephyr Mortgages conveyancing panel?
It is true that some banks and building societies now use CQS as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. The Law Society’s CQS membership however gives 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 conveyancing solicitors.
Can I be sure that the solicitor on the Zephyr Mortgages panel is any good?
obtaining recommendations is a good start. Before you go ahead check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more will often provide a better service than one which is cheap as chips. We would always advise that you speak with the lawyer carrying out your transaction
Zephyr Mortgages 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 Zephyr Mortgages or your broker and complete any relevant paperwork. Zephyr Mortgages will tell you what documents they want. Zephyr Mortgages 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. Zephyr Mortgages 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.