Customer not paying advice please

[shougal_88]

I have completed work for a letting agency for a few years now. One of my recent jobs I carried out an EICR on a rented property which then failed on a number of inspections also a number of code 3 inspects. I then emailed an estimate to the letting company to then forward on to the landlord (estimate has 'all materials belong to contractor until final payment is made). The work was then given the go ahead to start. All remedials done and finished invoiced with 30days payment terms. 50days or so on and customer will not answer phone/txts/emails. Letting agent cannot get hold of landlord either. Plumber also in the same boat and is going down the small claims road, is this my only option?

thanks in advance

 

[SJD]

I do work for several letting agents, and - assuming the property is let - they pay according to the rent cycle - so typically it takes no more than about a month to get paid. The money is simply deducted from the rent before it is passed on to the landlord.

However, there are exceptions, e.g. one property I did some work at, the tenants paid 6 months in advance, so it could take that long to get paid. Plus if the property is vacant, then there is no rent coming in and the agent has to ask the landlord for the money.

I find it is very unusual to be asked to bill the landlord direct, and would wonder why that would be. For example, does the agent know there is no rental income arriving, and it will save them the bother of chasing a slow-to-pay landlord? Pretty much the only times I bill direct is when the landlord wants to bypass the agent (e.g. to costs), and the landlord has instructed me directly. I'd be suspicious e.g. is the landlord/agency relationship is breaking down.

I do find a certain percentage of landlords don't like having to spend any money on maintenance, I had one that managed to ignore urgent remedial work for close to 18 months, he just didn't engage with any of the correspondence that mentioned it, as if he hadn't received it. But that was a refusal to instruct the work to be done.

As mentioned, I'd talk to the agent and try to find out what is going on.