I think i would have done the same, i had a job recently where i went to clean a flat that this guy had moved into, he left me in the flat saying let yourself out when you are done, fine i though, lots of customers do this.
I left the invoice for him, after three weeks i phoned him and he said the letting agents were going to pay it. It went back and forth for three months i told him he was responsible as he had contracted me to clean his carpets and he made no mention of a letting agent. some people just take the proverbial.
This one sound even worse, i think if you were going to do it then money up front, but what a lot of hassle, why should you have to be arranging all this. he should do it.