IELTS Semi-formal Letter: Letter to landlord regarding urgent heating repairs

The task

The heating system in your rented apartment is broken.

Write a letter to your landlord. In your letter:

→describe the problem with the heating system
→explain the inconvenience it is causing you
→request that repairs be made urgently

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter: Dear Mr/Ms [Name],

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8165 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I am writing to formally notify you of a persistent issue with the central heating system in my apartment. Over the past four days, the radiators have failed to produce any heat, despite my attempts to adjust the thermostat settings.

This malfunction is causing significant inconvenience, particularly given the current cold snap. The ambient temperature inside the flat has dropped to an uncomfortable level, making it difficult to work from home or sleep soundly. I have had to resort to using portable electric heaters, which is not only inefficient but also a concern regarding electricity consumption and fire safety.

Given the freezing conditions, I must request that you arrange for a qualified heating engineer to inspect and repair the system as a matter of urgency. Please let me know when a technician can visit the property so that I can ensure someone is home to grant them access.

I look forward to your prompt response regarding this matter.

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.

Write a letter, get a band free →

Examiner's view

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all three bullet points with a coherent, professional tone and precise vocabulary. The most common mistake in Band 6 answers is failing to explain the specific impact of the problem or using overly aggressive language that compromises the semi-formal tone.

→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

persistent
continuing to happen in an annoying or stubborn way
malfunction
a failure of a machine or system to function
cold snap
a brief period of unusually cold weather
ambient temperature
the temperature of the air in a specific area
resort to
to turn to a strategy as a final option
matter of urgency
something that needs to be dealt with immediately

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 complaint letters

© 2026 BandLadder. Written and checked by the BandLadder team. You may quote or cite this page with credit to BandLadder and a link to it; republishing it in full needs our written permission. Content use policy