Lender Part 2 changes increased by 67% in the first half of 2026. LenderMonitor recorded 261 published changes rated non-trivial between January and June, compared with 156 during the same period in 2025.
The increase matters for conveyancing firms because lender instructions affect everyday decisions: whether a lease is acceptable, which new-build warranties can be relied upon, how incentives must be reported and where a certificate of title should be sent.
The first-half total also exceeded the figures for 2024 and 2023, when 213 and 225 changes were recorded respectively. This makes H1 2026 the busiest first half within this four-year comparison.
Lender Part 2 changes: the monthly chart
January was the busiest month, with 63 changes compared with 26 in January 2025. The report attributes much of that activity to Lloyds Banking Group contact updates and HSBC and First Direct lease and occupier changes.
March, April and June also recorded substantially more changes than their 2025 equivalents. February and May were slightly quieter than a year earlier.
However, a higher change count does not mean that every record introduced a new legal requirement. Operational amendments, including changes to contact details and submission routes, are included where they were assessed as non-trivial.
More lenders changed their instructions
The activity was spread across more lenders: 79 changed their instructions in H1 2026, compared with 56 in H1 2025.
England and Wales accounted for most of the recorded changes, but every region in the report saw an increase.
| Region | H1 2025 changes | H1 2026 changes | Lenders changing in H1 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 88 | 167 | 72 |
| Scotland | 49 | 57 | 37 |
| Northern Ireland | 17 | 31 | 25 |
| Isle of Man | 2 | 6 | 4 |
A lender updating its England and Wales and Scottish instructions produces separate regional change records. The regional lender figures therefore overlap and should not be added together to calculate the number of distinct lenders.
Which lender groups made the most changes?
Lloyds Banking Group accounted for 66 changes, approximately 25% of the total, across 11 brands. Much of its activity occurred in two waves, in January and late June.
Other prominent groups included HSBC with 18 changes, Coventry Building Society with 15, NatWest Group with 14 and Virgin Money/Clydesdale with 14.
These figures measure change records rather than the significance of each amendment. A contact update across several brands and regions can generate more records than a single change with substantial implications for a particular transaction.
For an earlier comparison of how amendments were distributed across Handbook topics, see our article on changes by chapter of the CML Handbook Part 2 in 2013.
Electronic signatures: check the lender and the document
The report identifies electronic signatures as a significant theme in June 2026. Between 26 and 30 June, 14 lenders supplied first answers to question 3.1.6a.
The recorded answers demonstrate why firms should avoid applying one electronic-signature policy to every lender and every document. Acceptance may depend on the type of signature, the document concerned and the conditions specified by the lender.
Before relying on an electronic signature, check the relevant current Part 1 and Part 2 instructions alongside the applicable HM Land Registry requirements. Record the basis for the decision on the file.
Building safety and leasehold requirements
The report also records first responses to building-safety questions from several lenders between February and June. These questions concern leasehold flats in relevant buildings in England.
Conveyancers should read the lender’s answers alongside the relevant Part 1 requirements and establish what documentation, enquiries and reporting the particular transaction requires.
Our earlier articles on building safety guidance for conveyancing lawyers and Skipton’s Building Safety Act requirements provide background to this developing area. Historical articles should always be read alongside the lender’s current instructions.
Leasehold terms remained another major source of amendments. Question 5.14.9 was revised by 29 lenders during the period, while 11 lenders changed their answers concerning indemnity insurance for unsatisfactory leases.
The recorded themes included ground rent, lease defects and mortgagee protection clauses. A proposed indemnity policy should not be treated as an automatic substitute for a lease amendment or lender approval.
For the borrower-facing issues behind these checks, the When I Bought guides explain lease extensions and short leases and cladding and building safety concerns.
New-build warranties and incentives
Sixteen lenders revised their answers concerning acceptable new-home warranty schemes. Twelve changed their instructions on reporting incentives.
For new-build transactions, firms should check the precise warranty provider and scheme against the relevant lender’s requirements. Incentives also need to be considered against that lender’s disclosure and reporting instructions.
These checks are particularly useful where a file has been open for some time, the mortgage offer changes or a developer introduces additional incentives during the transaction.
Contact changes can affect completion
Contact and submission changes may look less significant than leasehold amendments, but they can still disrupt a transaction.
The report records two waves of Lloyds Banking Group operational changes during the first half of 2026. Firms should review saved contact details, certificate-of-title submission routes and standard templates against the applicable current instructions.
The same need to distinguish between a general assumption and a lender’s actual requirements is explored in our earlier post, Personal searches: when yes means no.
Use current instructions and preserve the historical position
Current instructions govern the work being undertaken. Historical instructions serve a different purpose: they help establish what a lender required at an earlier stage of a transaction or when reviewing a completed file.
Need to check an earlier lender requirement?
The Lexsure Lender Archive (LLA) provides access to historical lender Handbook records, helping conveyancers investigate the instructions relevant to an earlier date.
For examples of its practical relevance, read our articles on historical Santander lender Handbook requirements and older UK Finance lender Part 2 records.
Use the UK Finance Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook to check current instructions and the archive to investigate the historical position.
Practical checks for conveyancing firms
- Review live files: identify relevant lender amendments and consider whether further action or reporting is needed.
- Check signature requirements: confirm acceptance for the particular lender, document and signature method.
- Revisit leasehold enquiries: check building safety, ground rent, lease defects and mortgagee protection requirements where relevant.
- Update templates: review lender contacts and submission routes used by the team.
- Keep an audit trail: record which instructions were checked, when they were checked and how any amendment was addressed.
For ongoing monitoring, LenderMonitor helps firms track lender instruction changes. The volume recorded in H1 2026 underlines the value of a consistent process for reviewing amendments and applying them to relevant files.
How the figures were compiled
The figures count published Part 2 change records assessed as non-trivial between 1 January and 30 June 2026, across all regions. Date-stamp refreshes and formatting-only amendments are excluded. Operational changes, including contact updates, can be included.
Data review: the report identifies 18 records dated 26 June that were cancelled without a published counterpart and remain under review. June’s total, and consequently the first-half total, may be revised.
For further information on the archive’s approach, see the Lexsure Lender Archive methodology.