[Jim_77]

Just replying to a topic on another board reminded me to post this, after recent experiences.

Not sure if everyone's aware of this but when working for letting agents, legally your contract is NOT with the agent but with the landlord.  Even if you just send your bill to the agent and they pay you from the "client account".  If the agent doesn't pay you, you cannot legally take them to court.

So if you don't already do so, every job you do through an agent you should obtain the landlord's details and draw up the invoice addressed to them, care of the agent.  Ideally, send them a quote by post or email and have them sign and return it to form a contract.  Obviously we do things at the last minute quite a lot, especially with agents, so there may not be the time.  In which case, get the landlord's number and phone them - confirm the price and at least form a verbal contract before you get any kit out of the van.

No contract formed, no work done, simple as that.  The agents can simply wash their hands of the problem if no money is available from the deposit to pay you.  I've found this out the hard way.

A lot of us are quite traditional, in as much as we'll do a job on a conversation and handshake, send a bill and trust everyone is gentleman-like and pays their debts.  This is the kind of thing you get away with for so long but it will eventually bite YOU on the backside.  Yes, YOU, reading this

So make changes to the way you do business with agents

[Griffus]

Yes, this is a pain. The small print will read along the lines of payment will only be made once the landlord has paid the agent. A year + is easily possible, and at that point there are no guarantees at all that payment will be made.

We have one at the moment, but only since June so early days  :

The frustrating thing is the agent will not tell you any of this in advance, i.e. they know if there is no balance, or no payment due to them, but the first you will hear is when you chase overdue payment.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Nice post Jim,

I guess the agent can't let the property until its clean and think that they will pay the cleaner after the deposit and first months rent is in the bank but if the property isn't let or a bill for another tradesman hasn't been paid then there's not enough to pay the little old carpet cleaner, had this myself I threatened to take the owner outside which isn't like me at all just got a bit wound up.

Shaun

[fenman]

We do an awful lot of eot. work ( 7 this week already ) and in the vast majority the payment comes out of the deposit and we have to invoice the tenant,  care of the letting agent.
The letting agent should in all cases obtain the permission of the tenant before spending any of the deposit on cleaning, repairs etc.
If this is done then there is no argument and you should be paid fairly quickly.
It is only in a very few cases that there is no deposit left and therefore the Landlord has to pay.
It is all down to the efficiency and honesty of the letting agent and I have to say we have never had a problem with late payments or not being paid at all.

David

[andrew stone]

I do carpet cleaning work on a regular basis for three letting agents.I have a good relationship with them and have never had a problem with being paid although sometimes i have had to wait for a bit.

However i have been conned twice by landlords dealing with me direct.One gave me the run around "i will be round to pay you", "the wifes on the way " ,"he is on holiday" etc.i couldnt track him down and gave up.

A year later he rang me to book a carpet clean! He obviously still had my number on his phone.

I recognised his voice and said "how about f******* paying me for last years job first"!

He tried to bluff and said he had left the money with his tenant to pay me.

I told him to f**** off and delete my number from his phone!

Thats life!

andrew

[Len Gribble]

I’ve always got my backside covered got a donk to do the hard work like cash collecting   

Shaun

Step outside?? Why doesn’t that surprise me kids and wife to support 

[Carpet Dawg]

I hate not gettin paid! Even for a small amount!

Got about £2,500 owned to me at the moment, all small amounts. Think the bigget is about £400 ish. I know it'll get paid as I have worked for them before and the debts are not that old.

There is one though thats about 4 months old! Private landlord, she owes me £70 an its really getting on my tits!  She's changed her phone number and dont know where she lives. I know where her office is though 

[wynne jones]

Who told you that Jim a Letting Agent?

[Jim_77]

Trading Standards legal person

[The Great One]

Trading Standards legal person

But do the letting agents know it?

an la who teaches other la's told me the person who is invoiced is liable?

Martin 

[wynne jones]

Trading Standards legal person

Yet another reason not to work for Letting Agents then.

[clinton]

Good post jim..

I only have one letting agent on my books now as it  was getting harder to get payment..

 Had to drop the others over the years as had enough work without the problems with chasing money..

[Elfyn]

I've been doing EOT work, for letting agents, for quite a few years - they've always been a pain to work for. Ring on Wednesday and want the work done asap because "I have a tenant moving in on the weekend", but it's only these past few months that I've been having a problem getting paid.
Sign of the times perhaps.

[Jim_77]

Martin they know the rules alright, trust me

Agreed Wynne, don't have any regular agents any more since I fell out with the last ones - I'll miss the turnover but not the hassle that goes with it.  As Elfyn says, sign of the times maybe..... they are getting too greedy for their own good.

Also had a fall-out with a carpet retailer this week that I'm very concerned about as they refer me to a lot of high end clients.  Difference of opinion with one of their joint directors after he insulted me by calling me "just a cleaner".  He seemed to think a whole day's work restoring an Amtico floor wasn't worth the half day's work I ended up charging for.  Cheeky **nt I could have driven round there and lamped him one to be honest.  Fortunately most of my work from them comes from one of the other guys in the business but I feel a tense discussion coming on next week after I've calmed down!

I think a lot of businesses who use outside contractors are trying to squeeze the prices down to make more margin, as one way of keeping afloat.

[creighton foyle]

is it not possible to get any agents you work for to sign a document stating that their company/business will be financially responsible for any work they book you for. we can all hide behind t & c's.