I was advised recently by my broker that my Northallerton lawyer is not on the lender Conveyancing panel. What can I do to be sure if this is correct?
Your first step should be to call your Northallerton lawyer directly. You lawyer should advise you of the situation. Where they are not on the panel they may be able to suggest a Northallerton conveyancing practice that is on the approved list of lawyers for your bank.
We are purchasing a property and need a conveyancing solicitor in Northallerton who is on the Co-operative approved panel. Can you recommend a local firm?
Our service is limited to being a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Co-operative . We don't recommend any particular firms conducting conveyancing in Northallerton.
About to place a bid on a leasehold flat in Northallerton. The selling agents assure me that it is standard for flats in Northallerton to have less than 75 years left on the lease. I am expecting a mortgage with Nationwide Building Society. Is this going to be acceptable if the lease has 72 years unexpired.
Most leasehold conveyancing experts should be able to deal with a lease extension. if you are getting a mortgage then your lender may insist that the lease be extended before competition. Nationwide Building Society have specific requirements as set out in the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook in relation to minimum unexpired lease terms. As of 27/1/2026 the requirements read as follows :
- There must be at least 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term (regardless of the length of lease at the start).
Where the unexpired lease term is different to that recorded on the mortgage offer, the following clarifies if we need to be informed:
Second hand property:
- If the unexpired lease term on the offer is 85 years or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 85 years
- if the unexpired lease term on the offer is less than 85 years – advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported
- For equity share applications - advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported on the offer
- Where lending is over 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat and the unexpired lease term on the offer is 90 years or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 90 years.
New build property:
- If the unexpired lease term stated on the offer is 125 years (flat) / 250 years (house) or more - only advise us if the actual lease term is less than 125 years (flat) / 250 years (house)
- For equity share applications - always advise us if the actual lease term is different than reported on the offer
Lease terms such as ground rent and event fees must be reasonable at all times during the term of the lease and adhere to our requirements below. If you’re unsure as to whether the terms of a lease are unreasonable or onerous, please refer the details to us in plain English for Valuer consideration. If the potentially onerous terms are in relation to the ground rent please include the current ground rent figure per annum, how often it will be reviewed and the price structure it will be reviewed against. See the guidance below.
SECOND HAND PROPERTIES
Unacceptable - advise Issuing Office (Will be declined):
- Unexpired lease term less than 55 years
- Unexpired lease term less than 90 years where we are lending more than 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat
- Less than 30 years remaining at the end of the mortgage term
- Ground Rent greater than 0.5% of the property value
- Ground Rent doubles less than every 20 years (e.g. doubles every 5, 10 or 15 years) - acceptable if doubles every 20 years or more
- Ground Rent is compounded RPI
- Ground Rent review period is less than or equal to 5 years
Refer to Issuing Office (Valuer will consider any impact on valuation figure and marketability):
- Unexpired lease term is 55 to 85 years
- Ground Rent greater than 0.1% and less than or equal to 0.5% of the property value
- Ground Rent escalation is linked to any indices greater than RPI
- Ground Rent escalation is linked to the value of the building*
- Ground Rent review period is greater than 5 and less than 10 years
- Event clauses exist for normal use e.g. changing the carpet, installing a TV aerial, etc
- Estate Rent Charges greater than £500 p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Service Charges greater than 1% of property value p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Anything that appears onerous, unusual or out of the ordinary
Acceptable (no requirement to advise Issuing Office):
- Unexpired lease term greater than 85 years (Minimum 90 years where we are lending more than 85% of the purchase price/valuation on a second hand flat)
- Ground Rent less than or equal to 0.1% of the property value
- Ground Rent review period greater than or equal to 10 years
- Ground Rent escalation less than or equal to RPI
NEW BUILD PROPERTIES (includes office conversions)
Unacceptable - advise Issuing Office (Will be declined)
- Unexpired lease term less than 125 years on a new build flat or less than 250 years on a new build house (does not apply to Shared Ownership)
- Any lease which is subject to a Ground Rent (or Annual Rent) being charged which is more than on a peppercorn basis
- Any lease which is subject to a Ground Rent (or Annual Rent) being charged which is more than on a peppercorn basis
Refer to Issuing Office (Valuer will consider any impact on valuation figure and marketability):
- Event clauses exist for normal use e.g. changing the carpet, installing a TV aerial etc
- Estate Rent Charges greater than £500 p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Service Charges greater than 1% of property value p/a (please provide details of what the charges cover)
- Anything else appears onerous, unusual or out of the ordinary
Acceptable (no requirement to advise Issuing Office):
- Unexpired lease term greater than or equal to 125 years on a new build flat or greater than or equal to 250 years on a new build house
- A lease subject to a peppercorn Ground Rent (Annual Rent) charges
For the avoidance of doubt, any New Build properties completed but not sold pre-30 June 2022 will only be acceptable if the Lease conforms to the above guidance.
* Where the Ground Rent escalation is linked to the value of the building, please provide the following:
- How is the value of the block/unit currently calculated and if the assessment relates to the block(s), how is the Ground Rent calculated/apportioned per property?
- The current valuation and Ground Rent for each unit
- What is the mechanism for future valuations of the block and how is the Ground Rent calculated/apportioned?
- What is the right of appeal? And is this a documented process within the lease?
- Who bears the cost of the valuation (and appeal) process?
- Confirmation the review period is not less than twenty years.
Lease Extensions
We require all Lease Extensions to be completed under the Leasehold Reform Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 and to meet the above criteria as a minimum. Where you become aware that it does not meet these requirements, please refer to Issuing Office.
Please ensure that all lender enquiries are submitted (with full documentation/requirements) at least 2 weeks prior to exchange to allow sufficient time for review and decisioning.
My wife and I are purchasing a property in Northallerton. I might seem paranoid but how we can trust a conveyancer? On the day of competition we will need to deposit money into their account. What is the protection we have from them run away with our monies?
Be assured that all money in a Solicitors client account is 100% safe, and even if your Solicitor ran off with it, the Law Society would reimburse you fully.
My partner and I have arranged a further advance on our home loan from Nottingham as we wish to conduct improvements to our house in Northallerton. Are we obliged to appoint a local Northallerton solicitor on the Nottingham conveyancing panel to deal with the legals?
Nottingham do not ordinarily instruct a member of their approved list of lawyers to deal with such a matter. If they do require any legal work then you would need to ensure that such a lawyer was on the Nottingham conveyancing panel.
I am buying a property in Northallerton. A rare aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Santander 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 Santander your lawyer must check the formal requirements set out in Part two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Santander. The CML Handbook includes minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and property lawyers are required to report to Santander where a lease fails to satisfy these provisions. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties nationwide and is not isolated to Northallerton.
I acquired my home on 4 March and my personal details are still not registered. Any reason for this? My conveyancing solicitor in Northallerton said it would be dealt with in less than a month. Are titles in Northallerton uniquely lengthy to register?
There is nothing unique about conveyancing in Northallerton registration formalities. As opposed to being determined by geographic area, timeframes can adjust according to the party submitting the application, whether there are errors and if the Land registry must send notices to any interested parties. At present approximately three quarters of such applications are fully addressed within 12 days but occasionally there can be extensive delays. Registration is effected after the buyer is living at the premises thus registration formalities is not typically primary concern but where it is urgent that the the registration takes place urgently then you or your solicitor should speak with the land registry and explain the circumstances.
We are hoping to buy a repossessed flat in Northallerton and the mortgagee in possession demand completion inside 28 days. Can a solicitor complete in this timeframe? Am I best advised to select a local Northallerton firm or an online company that professes to complete quickly?
Attend your Northallerton shopping parade. Go in to two or three solicitor’s offices and ask to talk to a conveyancing solicitor for an estimate. Discuss your needs and seek assurances on time frames. Choose the one that appears most efficient. You need to select a conveyancing practitioner on the list of solicitors acceptable to your bank.