Why is my boyfriend's mortgage lender asking me questions?

Q My boyfriend is remortgaging his flat to get a better rate. I live in the property but my name is not on the mortgage or bills and I do not pay any money towards the mortgage. The solicitor appointed by the bank has sent me a deed of consent which they say I must sign before the remortgage can proceed. The deed of consent states that I must 'agree to postpone to that of the Company under the mortgage any right or interest in the Property which he or she may have or acquire.'

As we aren't married and I have only lived in the flat for a short time I don't understand why I need to sign this or what it actually means. My boyfriend has no intention of putting my name on the mortgage nor would I want him to as I am in the process of buying a property myself. Is this the usual procedure?
JH

A As you will see from the list of questions that your solicitor will be asking the person from whom you are buying your property, it is perfectly normal to ask a seller about other people living at the property. It is also part of normal procedure to make sure that any other occupiers will leave at the same time as the seller and so leave the property vacant.

It may seem like overkill given that, as you say, you are not doing anything - such as contributing to the mortgage - which would give you any rights to the property. But all the bank's solicitor is trying to do by asking you to sign the deed of consent is make absolutely sure that you won't in the future lay claim to rights in the property.

The reason that the bank wants this assurance is that it wants to be sure that if the property had to be repossessed, the property could be sold quickly. This wouldn't be possible if you were to claim that you had the right to live there.