What the local search outage means for buyers and lenders after the cyberattack
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In PrimeResi, Residential Property Partner Saskia Arthur discusses how the recent cyberattacks on shared local authority systems have disrupted the due‑diligence process for buyers, cutting off access to planning portals and delaying essential local searches.
She explains the practical steps solicitors are taking to keep transactions moving, from sourcing information through alternative channels and historic records to relying on no‑search indemnity insurance, and the risks, limitations and lender considerations this creates for clients navigating purchases in the affected boroughs.
“Property searches are a key part of the due diligence we carry out for clients. The replies from the local authority provide a wide range of important information about the property being bought, including planning history, any enforcement issues, building control and details about local infrastructure. The recent cyberattacks have inevitably therefore caused issues for buyers looking to purchase in the affected boroughs.
To keep transactions moving, we’ve had to take a flexible and practical approach when acting for both buyers and sellers. Some of the information normally included in a local authority search, such as whether a property is listed, covered by a tree preservation order, or in a conservation area, can be found elsewhere. Sellers and their advisers are also generally aware of the current situation and will respond to sensible questions, often providing documents like planning consents from their own files. Where we have acted on a previous purchase, we are supplying old searches to try to show relevant information from the time of purchase, even if this was years before. In some cases, we have gone further and instructed specialist planning and heritage consultants to verify previous planning or listed building consents, to seek comfort that the consents align with the works carried out and no enforcement notices are likely to arise.
Buyers are having to take indemnity insurance out for lack of the local search. Cash buyers can take a view on whether to rely on the cover provided, but where buyers have a mortgage the lender has to agree. Each lender has their own criteria and we are seeing more lenders agreeing to accept indemnity insurance, which is good news for those buying with a mortgage.
This approach is not ideal, and some clients are concerned and do not like having to rely on insurance. It also means that both a buyer’s solicitor and their surveyor do not have access at some councils to the planning portal which is an important source of information to check the planning history. Buyers will not have the most up‑to‑date, or complete, information on the property they are buying. As a result, transactions can usually only go ahead if we’re able to obtain ‘no‑search’ insurance and the buyer and their lender are both willing to accept this. If a lender will not accept insurance then this may mean looking for an alternative lender or potentially a long delay. This can have the potential to break transactions. However, we are seeing buyers accept insurance and more lenders agreeing to accept insurance.”
The full article was first published by PrimeResi (paywall) in February 2026.
