Answers for Scotland

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Question: 5.3.4. Does the lender accept property enquiry certificates from private firms?

Lender Answer
Accord Buy to Let Yes, provided you give an unqualified Certificate of Title.
Accord Mortgages Ltd Yes, provided you give an unqualified Certificate of Title.
Adam & Company Yes. Providing you can still give a clear Certificate of Title.


Adam & Company International Yes. Providing you can still give a clear Certificate of Title.

Aldermore Bank PLC Yes, provided the firm has adequate professional indemnity insurance and you are able to give an unqualified certificate of title. See paragraph 9.2.
Allied Irish Bank (GB), a trading name of AIB Group (UK) Yes, provided there is adequate indemnity insurance in place and provided you give an unqualified Certificate of Title.
Atom Bank plc Yes, provided you are still able to give an unqualified Certificate of Title and the private firm in question has adequate professional indemnity insurance.
Aviva Equity Release UK Ltd Yes, provided you have satisfactory experience of using them previously.
Bank of China No
Bank of Ireland (UK) plc No
Bank of Ireland as Bank of Ireland Mortgages No
Bank of Scotland Beginning A Yes
Bank of Scotland Beginning O Yes, provided firm has adequate Professional Indemnity Insurance.
Barclays Bank UK PLC Yes, at the Conveyancer’s own risk and subject to paragraphs 5.4.7 and 5.4.8 and provided that any firm carrying out a personal search is a member of an appropriate trade body, with established standards; has adequate insurance in place and is a member of an industry trade body that abide by the Property Ombudsman Scheme Scotland: www.tpos.co.uk.
Birmingham Midshires Yes, provided the private firm has adequate professional indemnity insurance
Bluestone Mortgages Yes, provided that the firm has adequate professional indemnity insurance and you give an unqualified certificate of title.
Bradford & Bingley Limited Yes, provided they fully satisfy requirements and you can certify that the title is good and marketable.
Britannia, a trading name of The Co-operative Bank plc Yes
Chelsea Building Society (a trading name of Yorkshire BS) Yes, provided you give an unqualified Certificate of Title.
Clydesdale Bank plc Yes, provided the firm has adequate professional indemnity insurance.
Co-operative Bank plc Yes, provided you are still able to give us an unqualified Certificate of Title and the private firm in question has adequate professional indemnity insurance.
Coutts Yes. Providing you can still give a clear Certificate of Title.
Coventry Building Society Yes. The Search agent and/insurance can only be used for applications up to £500000. The search agent or company must carry a minimum professional indemnity cover of £500000. Per case.
Darlington Building Society Yes
DB UK Bank Ltd Yes, provided there is adequate indemnity insurance in place
Ecology Building Society Local authority searches.

A Council (official) search is acceptable.

A Regulated (formally personal) search is permitted, provided that:
• searches are carried out in accordance with the Search Code monitored by the Property Codes Compliance Board; and
• the search agency has adequate Professional Indemnity Insurance.
First Direct Yes, provided the firm has adequate professional indemnity insurance.
Foundation Home Loans Yes - provided the search agent has adequate professional indemnity insurance and you can still give a clear Certificate of Title.

Furness Building Society No but you may do so at your own risk.
GE Money Home Lending Ltd GE Money Home Lending has withdrawn from the UK mortgage market.
Godiva Mortgages Ltd Yes. The Search agent and/insurance can only be used for applications up to £500000. The search agent or company must carry a minimum professional indemnity cover of £500000 per case.
Halifax Yes
Halifax Loans Ltd Yes
Hampden & Co. plc Yes, provided they are undertaken by a reputable search agent who has adequate professional indemnity insurance and you can still give a clear Certificate of Title.
Handelsbanken Yes, provided the search agent has adequate professional indemnity insurance and you can still give a clear report on title.
Hodge Yes provided:
i) that you can certify that the title is good and marketable.
ii) an unqualified certificate of title is given to us and,
iii) the conveyancer does so at his own risk.

Also the search firm used must be known to you and have professional indemnity insurance in place.
Hodge Equity Release Yes provided:
i) that you can certify that the title is good and marketable.
ii) an unqualified certificate of title is given to us and,
iii) the conveyancer does so at his own risk.

Also the search firm used must be known to you and have professional indemnity insurance in place.
HSBC UK Bank plc Yes, provided the firm has adequate professional indemnity insurance.
HSMS Yes, provided they fully satisfy the requirements of 5.3.4 and you can certify that the title is good and marketable.
Intelligent Finance Yes
ITL Mortgages Yes. The Search agent and/insurance can only be used for applications up to £500000. The search agent or company must carry a minimum professional indemnity cover of £500000 per case.
Kensington Mortgage Company Ltd Yes - provided the search agent has adequate professional indemnity insurance and you can still give a clear Certificate of Title.
Landbay Partners Limited By prior agreement.
Landmark Mortgages Limited Yes, but the conveyancer does so at their own risk.
Leeds Building Society Yes, at your risk
Legal & General Home Finance Ltd Yes, provided you give an unqualified certificate of title, they are carried out by a reputable search agent and provided the firm has adequate professional indemnity insurance.
LendInvest Yes, provided you are still able to give an unqualified Certificate of Title and the private firm in question has adequate professional indemnity insurance
LiveMore Capital Yes, provided the search agent has adequate professional indemnity insurance and you can still give a clear Certificate of Title.
Lloyds Bank plc pre fixed 40 Yes
Lloyds Bank plc pre fixed 50 Yes
Lloyds TSB Scotland plc Yes
M&S Bank Yes, provided the firm has adequate professional indemnity insurance
Magellan Homeloans Yes, provided they are undertaken by a reputable search agent who has adequate professional indemnity insurance and you can still give an unqualified Certificate of Title.
Masthaven Bank Yes, provided that the firm has adequate professional indemnity insurance, and that you give an unqualified Certificate of Title.
Metro Bank Plc No
Mortgage Agency Services Yes
Mortgage Express Yes, provided they fully satisfy requirements and you can certify that the title is good and marketable.
Mortgage Express No 2 Yes, provided they fully satisfy the requirements of 5.3.4 and you can certify that the title is good and marketable.
National Westminster Bank plc Yes, provided you can still give a clear Certificate of Title.
Nationwide Building Society At your own risk
Nedbank Private Wealth Ltd Yes (those firms pre-approved by you).
New Street Mortgages Yes - provided the search agent has adequate professional indemnity insurance and you can still give a clear Certificate of Title.
NRAM Ltd Yes, but the conveyance does so at their own risk.
Paragon Buy to Let Mortgages No.
Platform (a trading name of The Co-operative Bank p.l.c.) Yes
Precise Mortgages (Charter Court Financial Services Ltd) Yes, provided that the firm has adequate professional indemnity insurance and you give an unqualified certificate of title.
Rooftop Mortgages Ltd No
Sainsbury's Bank Yes, as long as you are still able to provide us with an unqualified Certificate of Title.
Santander UK plc No - but the Conveyancer may do so at his own risk.
Scottish Building Society Yes, subject to these being supported by Search insurance.
Scottish Widows Bank Yes
Skipton Building Society Yes, at your risk, if time does not permit an official search.
St James Place Bank Yes
The Mortgage Business Yes, provided the firm holds appropriate Professional Indemnity Insurance.
The Mortgage Lender Limited Yes - provided the search agent has adequate professional indemnity insurance and you can still give a clear Certificate of Title.
The Mortgage Works At your own risk
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Yes. Providing you can still give a clear Certificate of Title.
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Direct Line Mortgages Yes - provided the search agent has adequate professional indemnity insurance and you can still give a clear Certificate of Title.
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Direct Line One Yes - provided the search agent has adequate professional indemnity insurance and you can still give a clear Certificate of Title.
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc First Active Yes - provided the search agent has adequate professional indemnity insurance and you can still give a clear Certificate of Title.
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Natwest one Account Yes - provided the search agent has adequate professional indemnity insurance and you can still give a clear Certificate of Title.
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc One Account Yes - provided the search agent has adequate professional indemnity insurance and you can still give a clear Certificate of Title.
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc Virgin One Yes - provided the search agent has adequate professional indemnity insurance and you can still give a clear Certificate of Title.
Topaz Finance Ltd Yes, at your risk and only if time does not permit an official search.
TSB Bank plc Yes
UCB Home Loans Corporation Ltd At your own risk.
Ulster Bank Yes
Vida Homeloans No
Virgin Money Yes, but the conveyancer does so at their own risk.
Whistletree (a trading name of TSB Bank plc) Yes, but the conveyancer does so at their own risk.
Yorkshire Bank Home Loans Ltd Yes, provided the firm has adequate professional indemnity insurance.
Yorkshire Building Society Yes, provided you give an unqualified Certificate of Title.