Sainsbury's Bank Conveyancing Panel Information

The information on this page is designed to keep solicitors and licensed conveyancers abreast of latest requirements changes by Sainsbury's Bank and to assist in remaining on the Sainsbury's Bank Sainsburys Bank Conveyancing Panel.

Looking for information about your firm's panel status?

How does my firm apply to be on the Sainsbury's Bank Sainsburys Bank Conveyancing Panel?

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How can my firm be reinstated onto the Sainsbury's Bank Sainsburys Bank Conveyancing Panel?

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Sainsbury's Bank Conveyancing Panel: Recently Asked Questions

Does the fact that my firm receives Alerts via this site assist in my application to join the Sainsbury's Bank solicitor panel?

The requirements to join the Sainsbury's Bank conveyancing panel is likely to be fairly detailed and is unlikely to include signing up to LENDERmonitor alerts.

Can you suggest any advice if we wish to lodge an appeal being removed from the Sainsbury's Bank conveyancing panel?

Should you firm be removed from the Sainsbury's Bank conveyancing panel and you are unaware of or disagree with the reasons for your removal you should: (a) Contact Sainsbury's Bank directly. (b) If there is an appeals process detailed on your letter you should follow the process.

In appealing a decision by Sainsbury's Bank, it may be useful to provide the following information:

Comprehensive disclosure of your firm’s conveyancing history
A copy of your COMPLETIONmonitor reports if you use that service
Your recent claims history
Full details of all staff in your practice and their position.
Note down if a solicitor has been admitted to the role on completion of the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test.
Provide duplicate practising certificates, the firm's current PII schedule and the firm’s accountant's certificate, setting out the percentage of the firm's gross fee income is resulting from residential conveyancing

It is encouraging that some firms have been able to regain membership to panels notwithstanding the policy by the respective lenders to refuse panel membership to firms with certain profiles or characteristics. The success is primarily due to the firms’ ability to persuade the lender to make an exception if there is sufficient evidence to reassure them that the firm is well risk-managed.

A recent SRA survey reveals that 76% of solicitors have been removed from a lender conveyancing panel. Sainsbury's Bank and other lenders have restricted their panel over the years. Why?

In operating open conveyancing panels, lenders such as Sainsbury's Bank face a number of fraud and negligence risks. While there is no authoritative source of data on lender exposure to solicitor–led mortgage fraud, anecdotal evidence from lenders indicates exposure on individual cases are often in the millions of pounds. The National Fraud Authority estimates that £1bn per year is lost in mortgage -related frauds in total, which is seen as a conservative estimate.

These risks are exacerbated by the lack of a comprehensive set of data on all conveyancing firms (which, for the avoidance of doubt, would include solicitors and conveyancers across the UK) which is in a readily accessible format. Currently, lenders vet the suitability of their panel firms against a variety of disparate, incomplete and potentially inaccurate sets of information. One top 5 lender pointed out to us that it is almost impossible to track individual fraudsters who move from firm to firm, especially where they are no longer registered or no longer hold a valid practicing certificate.

Sainsbury's Bank and other lenders are in varying stages of reviewing their approach to vetting firms on their conveyancing panels, to ensure their ongoing exposure to unsuitable firms is reduced. There is also regulatory impetus on lenders to ensure that they have satisfactory oversight of their third party panels, including a due-diligence process.

What type of firms do building societies accept on their Conveyancing Panels?

In the same way that there is a unique Sainsbury's Bank conveyancing panel most building societies, operate a conveyancing panel for solicitors and other conveyancers that the lender will instruct. Terms and Conditions and criteria for inclusion on a building society conveyancing panel vary from lender-to-lender. Having CQS accreditation may be a requirement. Institutional lenders, such as a building society, is a client and is entitled to instruct the solicitor or conveyancer of its choosing (who, in turn, is free to accept or refuse instructions). Therefore, if lender and borrower cannot agree which solicitor or conveyancer should represent them jointly, they would usually proceed on a separate representation basis. The BSA have not published the equivalent of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook Part 3s.

My firm has just been advised that it’s Sainsbury's Bank panel membership revoked but we have not yet been given an explanation yet. I am completing a CQS renewal questionnaire what information must I disclose?

In this situation please explain on the form what action you have taken to find out the reasons behind cancellation of your Sainsbury's Bank panel membership. In particular please provide details if you have received communications from the lender. E.G. before termination of your panel membership did you receive any letters or calls from the lender advising you as to their reasons?

My firm is listed on the Sainsbury's Bank conveyancing panel and all set to complete a remortgage within the next few weeks. My papers do not include a Mortgage Deed for the client to sign. Who do I contact at Sainsbury's Bank to get a duplicate Deed?

You would be advised to get in touch with Sainsbury's Bank to obtain standard documents. The CML Handbook includes an individual question for banks to reveal who to contact to obtain standard documents. Sainsbury's Bank in their Part 2’s state:

Always remember to disclose the firm’s Sainsbury's Bank solicitors panel number.

Find a Lawyer on the Sainsbury's Bank Sainsburys Bank Conveyancing Panel

Average number of days to register title including a charge in favour of Sainsbury's Bank

This information relates to purchase only and not remortgages.

Year	Days*
2026	[no data]
2025	[no data]
2024	[no data]
2023	[no data]
2022	[no data]
2021	[no data]

* Data aggregated from sources including COMPLETIONmonitor

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