A reminder to all firms undertaking conveyancing work to register on the new Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook online platform, which went live on Monday 29th June 2026.
The requirement to formally register to access the Handbook is new, and UK Finance have stated that the new platform is significantly modernised, with better search capabilities and improved data comparison. Users will be able to easily search the handbook, compare lender responses, save favourite searches, set up alerts for content changes, and export or print handbook content.
The new platform will also have two-factor authentication.
Firms already registered with UK Finance should have received a firm-level agreement to complete and return, completion of which will allow access to the platform. If your firm has not received the firm level agreement, you can complete a registration form on the UK Finance Mortgage Lender’s information page: UK Finance Mortgage Lenders' Handbook: update (opens a new window).
The form asks for basic firm details and confirmation of your regulatory body. The registration form itself need only be completed once for each organisation, but individual users also require to register and create an account to access the Handbook: https://lendershandbook.ukfinance.org.uk/ (opens a new window).
For any firms experiencing difficulties, queries can be emailed to mlh@ukfinance.org.uk (opens a new window).
Compliance with all Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook requirements is of course essential in conveyancing transactions whenever secured lending is involved. A failure to follow requirements can in some circumstances lead to claims for breach of contract and breach of professional duty by a firm or the solicitor involved. A claim against the Master Policy may attract an increased Self-Insured Amount if the claim is attributable to a failure to comply with Lenders’ Reporting Requirements.
For more helpful information on the content of the Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook see a previous Lockton article: UK Finance Mortgage Lenders' Handbook (opens a new window).