Nationwide Conveyancing Panel: New Contact Number Does Not Change the Reporting Rules

Nationwide Building Society has notified panel firms of a change to its operational contact number. The number previously used was 0345 730 2011. The replacement number is 0345 600 3131.

For conveyancing firms, the change appears straightforward: verify the notice, update internal records and ensure fee earners use the current number. The more important point is what the new number does not change. A telephone call does not replace the written reporting and authority requirements that apply when acting for Nationwide.

What has changed?

With effect from 17 September 2026, Nationwide’s notified operational contact number changed as follows:

• Previous number: 0345 730 2011
• New number: 0345 600 3131

The update was communicated through the lender panel administration channel used by participating firms. It is an operational contact change, not an amendment to the UK Finance Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook.

That distinction should be preserved in internal guidance. Staff should know that the telephone number has changed, but they should not infer that Nationwide has created a new general route for reporting title issues, requesting written authority or replacing its lawyers portal and issuing office arrangements.

Why firms should not simply replace one number with another

A telephone number stored in a case-management system often appears without any explanation of its purpose. That creates a risk that a fee earner will call the number about a matter which should be reported through a different channel.

When updating the entry, firms should record:

• the lender name;
• the new number;
• the date from which it applies;
• the purpose for which the number may be used;
• the source and date of verification; and
• a warning that reportable matters and authority to complete must be dealt with through the required written route.

That final warning is essential. A correct telephone number can still be used incorrectly.

The Handbook still requires a written evidence trail

Part 1 of the UK Finance Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook states that communication between the conveyancer and lender should be in writing. It should quote the mortgage account or roll number, the borrower’s surname and initials and the property address. Copies should be retained on the file as evidence of notification and authority.

Where a matter must be reported to the lender, the conveyancer should report it promptly and should not complete until the lender’s further written instructions have been received.

A telephone call can be useful for identifying the right department, clarifying the administrative route or chasing an unanswered enquiry. It is not a substitute for the written report, and an oral answer should not be treated as written authority to complete.

This is a practical example of why apparently minor procedural failures can become expensive. Our earlier article on small conveyancing errors and their cost to firms examines the consequences of routine steps not being completed or evidenced correctly.

Use Nationwide’s designated route for the particular issue

Nationwide’s instructions do not direct every legal enquiry to one central telephone number. The destination can depend on the subject matter.

Depending on the transaction and the applicable instructions, the conveyancer may need to use Nationwide’s lawyers portal, the issuing office identified in the mortgage documentation or another specified written route. Examples include:

• obtaining redemption information;
• reporting the source of a deposit, a gifted contribution or a second charge;
• reporting an unacceptable lease term, ground rent provision or title issue;
• dealing with planning or building regulation problems;
• submitting the Certificate of Title and requesting the mortgage advance; and
• notifying Nationwide of a delayed or altered completion date.

The current Part 2 response and the instructions issued for the particular mortgage should be checked before the fee earner decides where and how to report.

Allow enough time for Nationwide to respond

Correct routing does not solve a timing problem if the report is submitted too late. Where Nationwide requires enquiries and supporting documents in advance, that period should be built into the proposed exchange and completion timetable.

The Certificate of Title has particular practical importance. Submitting it is not merely an administrative notification. It confirms that the applicable requirements have been satisfied and requests release of the mortgage advance. Firms should comply with Nationwide’s current notice requirement rather than assume that a telephone call will produce an urgent release of funds.

This should also be explained to the borrower. Our earlier article on managing client expectations in conveyancing explains why clients should be told when the timetable depends on a mortgage lender or another third party.

Is the firm on the Nationwide Building Society conveyancing panel?

The change of contact number also provides a useful opportunity to check panel information. A firm should not assume that its details remain accurate merely because it has acted for Nationwide previously.

For borrowers, the panel question should be answered before instructing a conveyancer. Our current guide to the Nationwide Building Society conveyancing panel explains why the particular firm and office should be checked before money is paid on account or searches are ordered.

Panel membership is not necessarily permanent. Lenders may review firms because of regulatory, insurance, performance, administrative or risk management concerns. Our earlier article, Lender Panels: Shifting Sands, considers why firms should manage panel status actively rather than treat it as a one-time accreditation.

A contact number change creates a fraud opportunity

Whenever a lender changes its contact details, there is a period during which staff may be uncertain about which number is genuine. That uncertainty creates an opportunity for impersonation and payment diversion fraud.

Firms should verify the new number independently before updating their systems. An incoming call, email or message should not be authenticated by using the contact details contained within the same communication.

Caller identification is not proof of identity. A call displaying a genuine organisation’s number can still be fraudulent. Any purported instruction affecting mortgage funds, redemption money, account details or authority to complete should be checked through an independently verified channel and supported by the required written evidence.

The same warning applies to clients. Firms should remind buyers and sellers that a purported change of client account details is a serious fraud indicator and must be checked using previously verified contact information.

Action points for Nationwide panel firms

1. Verify the notified change before altering internal records.
2. Replace 0345 730 2011 with 0345 600 3131 where the old operational number is currently recorded.
3. Label the entry clearly so that staff understand its purpose and limitations.
4. Review templates, intranet pages, precedents and telephone directories for the old number.
5. Remind fee earners that reportable matters require the appropriate written route and written lender authority.
6. Check that current Nationwide Part 2 routes and issuing office details are reflected in internal guidance.
7. Build lender response and mortgage advance notice periods into the transaction timetable.
8. Confirm that the firm and relevant office can currently act on the Nationwide Building Society conveyancing panel.
9. Reinforce outbound verification procedures following any apparent change of lender contact details.

The number has changed, but the evidential burden has not

Updating the telephone number is the easy part. The greater risk lies in treating a telephone line as a substitute for the communication method required by the lender.

The file should still show what was reported, when it was reported, which Handbook or mortgage requirement was engaged and what written authority Nationwide provided. The number may have changed. The need for a defensible written evidence trail has not.

Contact details and lender requirements can change. Firms should check the current lender notice, the applicable mortgage documentation and Nationwide’s current professional instructions before relying on information contained in this article.