Client Accounts must be properly designated and easily identifiable
The individual beneficial owners of any money contained therein should be attributable, without
difficulty, for the following main reasons:
• To prevent a Bank or Building Society offsetting a credit balance in one account against a debit
or charge incurred by another;
• To enable a receiver or liquidator or other investigator to identify money that does not belong
to the Member Firm;
• To allow such accounts to easily be monitored and reconciled both internally and externally to
demonstrate the financial integrity of the Member Firm and to ensure the smooth running of
its accounting practices.
6.2 Title and conditions of a Client Account
• All Member Firms who receive, or may receive, deposits in transactions to which the Estate
Agents Act 1979 applies shall open and operate a distinct Client Account for that purpose in
accordance with the requirements of that Act and with the Regulations made under it;
• A Member Firm that receives or holds Client Money must maintain at least one Client Account
for this purpose;
• Any such account(s) must include both the word “Client” and the legal name of the Member
Firm or CASP in the title;
• The Member Firm must hold on file in its Records, written confirmation from any Bank or
Building Society where a Client Account is held, that the following conditions apply to any such
account(s):
o All money held in the account is Client Money; and
o The Bank or Building Society is not entitled to combine the account with any other
account or to exercise any right of set-off or counter claim against money in that
account in respect of any sum owed to it on any other accounts of the Member Firm.
6.3 Payments out of a Client Account
A Member Firm should withdraw, transfer or make a Payment from a Client Account only in the
following circumstances:
• Money paid in to open or maintain the account where it is no longer required;
• Money paid into the account, which does not belong to the Client, for Payment to the person
lawfully entitled to it;
• Money payable to a Client, or, to an appropriate person suitably authorised (in writing) to
receive such Payments on that Client’s behalf;
• Money being paid directly into another Client Account;
• Reimbursement of money to the Member Firm for money expended by the Member Firm on
behalf of the Client;
• Money lawfully and contractually due, in respect of a Member Firm’s fees and charges;
• Legitimate disbursements, e.g., amounts subject to invoices, costs or demands incurred
or received on behalf of the Client;
• Within three working days of becoming aware of a relevant contravention, money paid into the
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account in contravention of these Rules.
Payments must be in accordance with lawful and contractual written arrangements; or
the Client, or an authorised representative, has been notified or invoiced in writing by the Member
Firm of the amount and purpose for which the money is being withdrawn and no objection has
been raised within a reasonable timescale. No Payment shall be made for or on behalf of an
individual Client that exceeds the total amount held on behalf of that particular Client.
6.4 Methods of Payment from a Client Account
Payment from a Client Account may be made by:
• A cheque;
• An electronic transfer to another Bank or Building Society account, provided that such an
arrangement does not constitute a direct debit transaction;
• A bank draft;
• Cash but only in exceptional cases and where sufficient staff safety and financial security
measures can, in the opinion of the Member Firm, be taken for the holding of such money prior
to Payment; the handing over of such money; and where sufficient Records of receipt are
obtained upon collection of the money.
6.5 Signatories to Payments from a Client Account
To avoid undue delays or inconvenience to Clients or others entitled to receive Payments, during any
absence from the business, the Member Firm must make adequate provision for designated
personnel to be able to authorise and/or make appropriate Payments.
A Member Firm has a duty of care to ensure that appropriate controls exist around the ability of any
individual(s) to make Payments from a Client Account, including making online Payments, and must
maintain an up-to-date and accurate record listing. As a minimum this should include:
• The full names ofsuch persons;
• Any limits or restrictions governing the amountsfor which that individual is authorisedeither
exclusively or jointly with others; and
• An example or specimen signature of each person.
• The original of such a list or schedule should be lodged with the relevant Bank or Building
Society used by the Member Firm and a copy retained within the Records of the Member Firm.
6.6 Paymentsinto a Client Account
Payment of money into a Client Account is restricted to the following:
• The minimum sum required to open or maintain the Client Account;
• Client Money;
• An amount required to be paid by a Member Firm to restore in whole or part any money paid
out, or withdrawn, in contravention of these Rules;
• A cheque or bank draft that includes Client Money as well as other money.
6.7 Timing of Banking
A Member Firm must bank all receipts of Client Money into an appropriate Client Account within a
maximum of two working days from the day on which it was received.
All Payments out of a Client Account should be made promptly, and within not more than twenty-
eight days of becoming due.
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6.8 Reconciliation
Every Member Firm shall:
• At least once every two calendar months (and within no later than ten weeks of a previous
Reconciliation), reconcile the balance on their Client’s cash book(s) with the balance in their
Client Account(s) using the Bank/Building Society statement(s); and with the total of each
Client’s balance in the Clients’ Ledger;
• Ensure that such documents necessary to support the Reconciliation so produced have been
kept safe, complete and readily available in the cash book or other appropriate place;
• All such Reconciliations should be checked and signed by a Principal, Partner or Director of the
company, or by such person formally appointed, who shall not be the person responsible for
the preparation of such Reconciliation;
• Reconciliations must be stored so as to be readily available at audit or inspection.
6.9 Client Money from Member Firms’ properties
A Member Firm must not conduct personal or office transactions through a Client Account, save that
it shall be permissible for the Member Firm to manage and collect rent on a property or properties
belonging to any Principal, Partner, or Director of the Member Firm, so long as the number of
properties involved are de minimis (no more than 5%), declared to and so recorded by the
Accountant while completing the Annual Audit. It is permissible to hold tenants’ deposit monies
relating to such properties in a Client Account.
6.10 Old or dormant Client balances
• If a Member Firm has credit balances in its Client Account(s) that represent Client Money
previously held for Clients who cannot now be traced, or which cannot now be attributed to or
identified as belonging to a particular Client, the Member Firm is not entitled to take that Client
Money;
• Such old/dormant Client Money should be transferred to and recorded in a suitably designated
Client Suspense Account Ledger. Any such account remains within the scope of these Rules and
still subject to regular Reconciliation at the Annual Audit;
• A Member Firm must take reasonable steps to identify to whom the Client Money belongs
through their accounting and other Records and this should include carrying out an extensive
investigation; and in the case of an old or ex-Client for whom the Member Firm no longer acts,
reasonable steps must be taken to trace the Client;
• Money Shield may allow the old or dormant Client Money to be donated by the Member Firm
to a suitable registered charity; subject to:
o An undertaking that any valid proven claim subsequently received by the Member Firm
from the beneficial or legal owner would immediately be met by the Member Firm
from its own resources; and
o A written explanation to Money Shield of:
▪ The actions taken by the Member Firm;
▪ The current situation and status of any investigations;
▪ Disclosure of the amount involved; and
▪ Sufficient time (at least six years) having elapsed from last contact from the
Client or activity on the relevant Clients’ Ledger.
6.11 Client Suspense Account
• Where any merger, acquisition, amalgamation or similar takes place between a Member Firm
and any other Member Firm or company, any such Client Money held in the relevant Client
Suspense Account should be transferred to the new company or Member Firm.
• The Member Firm passing the funds must receive a written undertaking that such Client Money
will, subject to a valid future claim, be refunded to the beneficial or legal owner. A Member
Firm is advised to include in any contract of sale (or similar) an indemnity from the purchaser
that any Client Money previously transferred as a charitable donation, will be a liability of the
purchaser.