What Are Requisitions on Title in Conveyancing? A 2026 Guide for Buyers and Sellers
In Brief
Requisitions on title are the formal, late-stage questions the buyer’s solicitor raises between exchange of contracts and completion. They are not about whether to buy any more – that’s already decided.
They cover the mechanics of moving from “contract exchanged” to “keys in your hand”: where the funds go, when the mortgage will be discharged, key handover, and crucially, the binding undertakings the seller’s solicitor will give to make it all happen safely.
Most are handled on the Law Society TA13 Completion Information and Undertakings form (currently the 4th edition (2023), mandatory since February 2023). Done right, they’re administrative; done badly, they can derail completion in the final week.
This guide covers what’s really on a requisitions schedule in 2026, what the answers commit your solicitor to, what happens when something doesn’t add up, and how requisitions differ from the earlier “enquiries” stage they’re often confused with.
What requisitions on title actually are
Requisitions on title are the last set of formal lawyer-to-lawyer questions in a residential conveyancing transaction in England and Wales. They sit between exchange (the legally binding commitment to buy and sell) and completion (the day the money moves and you get the keys).
By the time they’re raised, the substantive due diligence is done. Searches are back, the TA6, TA10 and (if leasehold) TA7 have been answered, pre-contract enquiries have been resolved, the price is fixed, the deposit has been paid on exchange, and a completion date is in the diary.
What’s left to nail down is the mechanics: bank details for the purchase money, time of completion, key handover, how the seller’s existing mortgage will be cleared on the day, and the legally binding promises (called undertakings) the seller’s solicitor will give to make all of that work.
The replies the seller’s solicitor gives are not just helpful information. Several are professional undertakings, which are binding promises enforceable by the courts and the Solicitors Regulation Authority. That’s why this stage matters even though it looks routine on the surface.
When in the transaction they happen
Requisitions sit in a narrow window, which is typically the week or two between exchange and completion. Here’s where they land in a normal post-exchange timeline.
| Day (relative to completion) | What’s happening | Where requisitions fit |
| Exchange (~Day −10 to −7) | Contracts exchanged; deposit transferred; completion date fixed | Buyer’s solicitor immediately drafts and sends requisitions on title – usually using the standard TA13 form |
| Day −6 to −3 | Pre-completion searches commissioned (bankruptcy, Land Registry priority) | Seller’s solicitor drafts replies to requisitions; sources mortgage redemption figure from lender |
| Day −2 to −1 | Final figures agreed; Statement of Account sent to buyer | Replies to requisitions returned – including binding undertakings on mortgage discharge and key release |
| Day 0 (completion) | Buyer’s solicitor sends funds; seller’s solicitor confirms receipt; keys released | Undertakings activate – seller’s solicitor must now use the proceeds to pay off the mortgage |
| Day +1 to +14 | Solicitors finalise paperwork; Land Registry filing | Undertaking to send the discharge form (DS1) to the buyer’s solicitor remains binding |
The whole post-exchange phase usually runs about one to two weeks, sometimes longer if the parties have negotiated a longer completion gap (common when a chain needs to align). Requisitions occupy almost the entire window.
What’s on a typical requisitions schedule
This is where most articles stop short. They tell you requisitions exist, then list the broad topics. Here’s what an actual requisitions schedule typically contains, what each question is really probing for, and the kind of reply that satisfies it.
Requisitions divide cleanly into three categories: financial, legal, and practical.
| The requisition | What it’s really asking | Typical reply |
| Financial | ||
| “Please confirm the amount required to complete and your bank details for the receipt of the completion money.” | Where exactly does the buyer’s solicitor send the money, and how much? | Solicitor’s client account details + a Statement of Account itemising the purchase price, less deposit already paid, plus any apportionments (e.g., service charge rebate). |
| “Please confirm the amount required to redeem the seller’s existing mortgage and that you undertake to discharge it from the completion proceeds.” | Will the seller’s mortgage actually be paid off on the day, and do we have the seller’s solicitor’s binding promise to do it? | “The redemption figure is £X. We confirm our undertaking to redeem the charge in favour of [Lender] from the completion monies and to forward the duly executed DS1 to you upon receipt.” |
| “Please confirm whether any other charges, restrictions or notices need to be removed and your arrangements for doing so.” | Any other registered debts or notices against the property – a second charge, a Help-to-Buy equity loan, a unilateral notice? | Lists each, with confirmation of how each will be cleared/removed and from what funds. |
| Legal | ||
| “Please confirm the seller has not entered into any further obligations affecting the property since the date of the contract.” | Has anything changed about the property between exchange and completion? | “We confirm no further obligations have been entered into.” |
| “Please confirm that vacant possession will be given on completion.” | Will the property actually be empty (or, on a tenanted sale, occupied only by the agreed tenants)? | “We confirm vacant possession will be given on completion at [time].” |
| “Please supply executed transfer (TR1) and any other documents required for registration.” | The Land Registry paperwork to actually transfer ownership. | Engrossed TR1 signed by the seller, plus any deed of covenant, deed of variation, etc. |
| Practical | ||
| “Please confirm arrangements for handing over keys, alarm codes, and any electronic access devices on completion.” | Who holds the keys on the day, where the buyer collects them, and the time of completion. | “Keys released to [estate agent] on confirmation of receipt of funds. Alarm code and FOB devices left with the keys.” (The explicit reference to electronic devices is a 2023 4th-edition addition – see next section.) |
Notice the pattern: each requisition is precise and answerable in one or two sentences. They are not exploratory; they are check-and-confirm. If a requisition needs paragraphs of explanation, something has gone wrong somewhere in the transaction and the timeline is in trouble.
The TA13 form: what’s changed and why it matters in 2026
Most requisitions in England and Wales are raised on the Law Society’s TA13 Completion Information and Undertakings form. The current version, and the one your solicitor should be using in 2026, is the 4th edition, published in January 2023 and mandatory from 14 February 2023.
If you read older articles online (including some that still rank in Google), you’ll see references to the 3rd edition (2019). Most of the structure is the same, but the 4th edition tightened up a few practical points that have become important in modern transactions:
Explicit reference to electronic access, such as alarm codes, FOBs, smart lock codes and any digital devices needed to operate the property. The 3rd edition only really contemplated physical keys.
Clearer wording on the Code for Completion by Post**, which is how most transactions are now completed: the buyer’s solicitor never actually meets the seller’s solicitor face-to-face; instead, they appoint each other as agents for the day.
Tightened undertakings wording following case-law developments (notably the Dreamvar line of cases on identity fraud and the limits of an “agent’s” liability).
For most buyers and sellers, none of this changes what you’ll experience. But it does mean an out-of-date solicitor using a 3rd-edition form is a small but real red flag. It usually signals processes that haven’t been refreshed.
Replies to requisitions – and why undertakings are powerful
The phrase “replies to requisitions on title” comes up almost as often as “requisitions” themselves, because most of what matters is in the reply, not the question.
When the seller’s solicitor signs their replies, several of them carry the force of a solicitor’s undertaking. An undertaking is a binding professional promise to do something and the binding part really is binding. If a solicitor undertakes to do something and then doesn’t, they are personally liable to the recipient of the undertaking; the courts will compel performance, and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) can take regulatory action against them.
In a typical residential sale, you’ll see three undertakings sit on top of the requisitions replies:
Undertaking to redeem the seller’s mortgage out of the completion proceeds. This is the big one, as it’s why a buyer can confidently send their money knowing the property won’t still be mortgaged the next morning.
Undertaking to forward the executed DS1 (mortgage discharge form) to the buyer’s solicitor once the lender provides it (usually within 1–4 weeks after completion).
Undertaking to hold the title deeds and signed transfer to the buyer’s order pending completion, meaning the seller’s solicitor can’t release them to anyone else or change their mind.
This is, in plain English, why the conveyancing system in England and Wales works without escrow. There’s no neutral third party holding the money or the keys. Instead, there’s a chain of solicitors’ undertakings, each enforceable on its own and breaching one ends a career, not just a transaction.
For buyers, this is reassuring. For sellers, it means: the moment your solicitor gives an undertaking on your behalf, they are personally on the hook to honour it. If you’ve not given your solicitor the information they need to confidently do so (for example, by not confirming your mortgage details), they may either refuse to undertake or word the undertaking so cautiously that the buyer’s solicitor pushes back.
What if a requisition surfaces a problem?
Requisitions are designed to be administrative, and most of the time they are. But occasionally, perhaps one in twenty transactions, a reply surfaces a real problem at the eleventh hour. Here’s the decision framework when it does.
Scenario A – The mortgage redemption figure is higher than expected. The lender’s redemption statement comes back higher than the equity in the sale. The seller’s solicitor cannot give the undertaking to redeem.
What happens: The seller must either find the shortfall from their own funds, ask the lender for a “consent to sell” (where the lender accepts less than the full mortgage as final settlement, which is possible but slow), or renegotiate. Completion typically slips by 1–3 weeks. Far better to know on Day −7 than Day 0.
Scenario B – A second charge or restriction surfaces. A search returns a second charge (e.g., an unknown loan, a Help-to-Buy equity charge that hadn’t been mentioned, or a Form K restriction).
What happens: The seller’s solicitor must obtain a redemption figure for that charge and arrange its discharge from the same completion proceeds. Usually fixable in a few days, but the buyer’s solicitor will not release funds until the undertaking to clear it is in place.
Scenario C – Vacant possession can’t be confirmed. A tenant won’t leave, or the seller themselves can’t move out by completion.
What happens: The parties either agree a delayed completion (with the seller paying daily interest under the standard contract conditions), or the buyer can serve a notice to complete (typically a 10-working-day deadline) and, if unanswered, walk away with the deposit. Rare at the requisitions stage but it does happen.
The rule of thumb: if a requisition reply discloses an unexpected problem, your solicitor should be on the phone to you within hours, not days. The contract is already binding.
How requisitions differ from enquiries – quick comparison
The terms “enquiries” and “requisitions” are sometimes used interchangeably, even by experienced lawyers. They are not the same thing.
| Pre-contract enquiries | Additional enquiries | Requisitions on title | |
| When raised | Before exchange | Before exchange (after search results) | Between exchange and completion |
| What they cover | Property title, planning, alterations, disputes, lease terms | Specific issues that searches throw up | Completion mechanics, mortgage discharge, undertakings |
| Stops the transaction if unanswered? | Yes – would prevent exchange | Yes – would prevent exchange | Technically yes, but rarely substantive enough to derail |
| Carries solicitor’s undertakings? | No (rare) | No (rare) | Yes – this is their defining feature |
| Typical form | Free-text questions | Free-text questions | Standard TA13 form |
| Who answers | Seller (via their solicitor) | Seller (via their solicitor) | Seller’s solicitor directly |
If you’d like the full three-way comparison with timings and typical numbers of enquiries, we go into it in more detail in our guide to enquiries when buying a house.
Talk to Bird & Co about your conveyancing
Bird & Co Solicitors has been managing residential conveyancing for buyers and sellers across England and Wales for decades. We’re CQS-accredited by the Law Society (the standard for conveyancing quality) and Lexcel-accredited for legal practice quality, with a 4.9/5 Trustpilot rating across 1,100+ reviews.
What that means when you instruct us:
Fixed fees, agreed up front. The cost on day one is the cost on day fifty, even if requisitions take longer than expected.
Direct contact with the solicitor handling your file – no call-centre routing. When a requisition reply needs to be signed off, you speak to the lawyer who’s drafting it.
Modern, online conveyancing with regular email updates so you always know where your transaction stands.
National service with offices in Newark, Grantham and Lincoln.
Get an instant conveyancing quote or call our team in Newark on 01636 650880.
Frequently asked questions
Is a TA13 a requisition on title?
The TA13 is the standard form used to raise and reply to requisitions on title in England and Wales. The buyer’s solicitor sends across a TA13 (or a slightly customised version of it) listing their requisitions, and the seller’s solicitor sends back the completed TA13 with their replies and undertakings. So yes – in practice, “TA13” and “requisitions on title” refer to the same thing, with TA13 being the actual paper form.
Can a requisition cause completion to be delayed?
Yes, but it’s uncommon. Most requisitions are administrative and dealt with in a few hours. Where they delay completion, it’s almost always because a reply reveals an unexpected problem – a higher-than-expected mortgage redemption figure, a previously undisclosed second charge, or a problem with vacant possession. In that case completion typically slips by a few days to a few weeks, depending on what’s needed to fix it.
Do I get to see the requisitions my solicitor is raising?
You’re entitled to. At Bird & Co we’ll send you the TA13 and the seller’s replies as part of our pre-completion report, so you can see exactly what undertakings have been given before the money moves. If you want to see the questions earlier, just ask, as there’s nothing confidential about them.
What happens if the seller’s solicitor refuses to give an undertaking?
It’s a red flag. The standard requisitions are routine and a competent solicitor on a standard transaction should give them without much push-back.
If they refuse, your solicitor will want to know why. Common reasons are missing information (e.g., the lender hasn’t supplied a redemption figure), a regulatory concern (e.g., they suspect identity fraud), or a disagreement about the wording. Your solicitor should raise it with you the same day; in serious cases, it can stop the transaction proceeding.
Is the seller’s solicitor’s undertaking actually enforceable?
Yes, and it’s one of the strongest enforceable promises in English law. A solicitor’s undertaking is personally binding on the solicitor (and their firm) regardless of whether it would otherwise be unenforceable as a contract. The High Court will summarily compel performance, and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) treats breach as a serious regulatory matter. This is why undertakings underpin the entire conveyancing system in England and Wales.
Are requisitions on title the same as completion enquiries?
Largely yes. Some firms call them “completion enquiries”, “completion information” or just “pre-completion requisitions”. The technical Law Society label is “Completion Information and Undertakings” (the title of the TA13 form). “Requisitions on title” is the traditional name still widely used.
Does this all work the same way in Scotland?
No. The Scottish conveyancing system is materially different. There’s no separate requisitions stage in the same form, because the equivalent ground is covered through “missives” and a single set of solicitor letters. If you’re buying or selling in Scotland, you’ll need a Scottish solicitor. This guide applies to England and Wales only.
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