IELTS Semi-formal Letter: Letter to landlord regarding early tenancy termination

The task

You live in a flat and you have a tenancy agreement which states that you must give three months' notice when you wish to leave. You have paid a deposit of two months' rent. Now a member of your family has a problem and you need to give up your flat and return home as soon as possible.

Write a letter to your landlord /landlady. In your letter:

→explain your circumstances
→tell him/her what you intend to do
→and ask him/her for special consideration

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter: Dear ...,

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8189 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I am writing to formally notify you of my need to vacate my flat at the end of this month. My tenancy agreement stipulates a three-month notice period, but an urgent family crisis has necessitated my immediate return to my home country.

My elderly mother has recently suffered a significant health decline, requiring me to relocate to provide essential care for her. Consequently, I am unable to remain in the property for the duration of the notice period, as my departure must be finalised within the next few weeks.

I am fully aware of the contractual obligations regarding the notice period. However, given these unforeseen and distressing circumstances, I would like to respectfully request your special consideration. I am hopeful that you might be willing to waive the full three-month requirement and perhaps retain my two-month security deposit as compensation for the short notice. I am also happy to assist in advertising the flat to ensure a new tenant is found as quickly as possible.

Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Julian Thorne

Write your own and get a band

Answer this prompt in a timed General Training writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

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Examiner's view

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all three bullet points with a coherent, polite tone that maintains the landlord-tenant relationship throughout. A common Band 6 error is failing to propose a specific solution regarding the deposit or the notice period, resulting in an underdeveloped request.

→Write to someone you know but not closely, such as a manager, landlord or neighbour, using their title and surname.
→Polite and friendly at once: a few contractions are fine, slang is not. Close with Yours sincerely or Kind regards.
→State the purpose in the first two sentences; small talk costs words you need for the bullets.

6 phrases

Useful phrases from the letter

vacate
To leave a building or room you occupy.
stipulates
Demands or specifies a requirement in an agreement.
necessitated
Made something necessary as a result of circumstances.
unforeseen
Not anticipated or predicted before it happened.
waive
To refrain from insisting on a right or claim.
compensation
Money awarded to someone as recompense for loss.

Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?+

Semi-formal. Write to someone you know but not closely, such as a manager, landlord or neighbour, using their title and surname.

How many words should an IELTS General Training letter be?+

At least 150 words, and 160 to 200 is the comfortable range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.

What does the examiner look for?+

Keep practising

More request letters

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