News Analysis: Conveyancing hold-ups worsen – Mortgage Strategy
Mortgage brokers are facing increasing pressure from lengthy conveyancing delays as homebuyers wait months to exchange and risk seeing mortgage offers expire before they can complete.
In September, 42% of recent homebuyers surveyed by Lyons Bowe Solicitors said conveyancing was the biggest factor slowing or hindering a smooth transaction. Almost a quarter (23%) said slow communication between the buyer’s and seller’s conveyancers was the leading cause of delays.
Also in September, Propertymark’s Housing Insight Report found that transactions were taking longer to complete, with 51.2% taking more than 17 weeks to exchange, with delays specifically attributed to the conveyancing process.
When the rate goes up on a £2m residential mortgage, it makes a material difference. I’ve had it happen once or twice this year
The UK government’s 2026 homebuying reform roadmap says that, once an offer is accepted, completion takes around 120 days on average — around 60% longer than in 2007.
The Legal Ombudsman’s 2025/26 data shows that residential conveyancing complaints had increased by 41% year on year, to 3,039 accepted complaints.
Mortgage brokers say they are sympathetic to conveyancers’ pressures but have come under pressure themselves from delays.
In the worst instances, conveyancing delays have one on so long that mortgage offers have expired, which in the current rate environment has left customers facing big increases to their expected monthly mortgage payments.
MSP Financial Solutions director Chris Sykes says: “I have a transaction now, a first-time buyer, no chain; but, because of a lease extension, it’s taken a full six months.
“The buyer’s rate of 4.39% runs out in a couple of weeks. If it doesn’t complete, they are looking at a rate closer to 5%, so it’s thousands of pounds of difference. It’s a by-product of how long some of these things are taking, and it’s a real risk to borrowers.”
When you need a landlord to send a certificate to understand if a building needs remedial works, they often take four weeks to respond
Karis Capital director of specialist finance Devraj Ray says: “I’ve had it [happen] once or twice this year, on a couple of higher-value transactions. When you’re dealing with those, when the rate goes up on a £2m residential mortgage, it makes a material difference.”
Many of the conveyancing delays focus on leasehold homes.
Figures from Connells Group show that, in April, leasehold homes took an average of 155 days to reach exchange, compared with 97 days for freehold properties — the widest gap recorded by Connells.
Sykes says: “Where it’s just freehold transactions, it can go through really quickly, in weeks rather than months. If there are a number of leasehold properties in a chain, it can drag and drag these days.
“If you go back five years, a lot of solicitors would not differentiate their pricing, and now I believe many do charge a premium for the extra work [with leasehold].”
We have the fear of fines for not complying with the anti-money laundering risk requirements, even where there is no evidence of money laundering
Trinity Financial product and communications director Aaron Strutt says: “It does depend on the case, but flats are definitely taking longer, with all the searches and checking the service charges, making sure the landlord pack is up to date. Some legal firms have a huge caseload and it is difficult to keep up.”
Conveyancers say they have a bigger workload as a result of legal changes, many of which relate to leasehold properties.
The Conveyancing Association director of delivery Beth Rudolf says: “This is a huge combination of lack of upfront information, complexity of title with shortening lease terms, escalating grounds rents, estate rent charges and managed freeholds; plus, of course, owners hanging on for the secondary legislation for leasehold reform.
“On top of this, we have the fear of fines for not complying with the anti-money laundering [AML] risk requirements, even where there is no evidence of money laundering.”
My buyer’s rate of 4.39% runs out soon. If it doesn’t complete, they are looking at a rate closer to 5%, so it’s thousands of pounds of difference
Rudolf also cites extra AML requirements and inexperienced trainees as adding to the workload of conveyancers.
Thomas Legal business development director Chris Barry says delays mostly affect chains involving first-time buyers and leasehold properties. The influx of former buy-to-let properties, many of which are leasehold, has added to the problem, particularly as these are often the properties first-time buyers can afford.
But Barry says the biggest delay to the conveyancing process is the Building Safety Act, which came into force in June 2022.
“When you need a landlord to send a certificate to understand if a building needs remedial works, they often take four weeks to respond, the legal maximum,” he says.
“Those are the ones that are causing the real delays.”
Ministers are proposing reforms intended to streamline the homebuying process, including clearer standards for information requests and timelines. The government estimates that its proposals could make transactions around four weeks faster and reduce failed transactions from one in three to one in seven.
If there are a number of leasehold properties in a chain, it can drag and drag these days
Rudolf says she hopes the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government’s Home Buying and Selling Reform, alongside Leasehold & Freehold Reform and Commonhold Reform, will streamline transactions by providing key information and legal documents up front, helping identify issues earlier and reduce delays and fall-throughs.
Until proposed changes take effect, brokers, lenders and conveyancers must work together as best they can to manage delays and protect borrowers from the financial consequences.
This article featured in the October 2026 edition of Mortgage Strategy.
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