IELTS Semi-formal Letter: Letter to Landlord Requesting Temporary Rent Reduction

The task

You have been a good tenant for years but are experiencing unexpected financial hardship.

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

→explain your current financial situation
→remind them of your history as a reliable tenant
→request a temporary reduction in rent and propose a repayment plan

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 8181 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I am writing to discuss my current tenancy at 12 Oakwood Apartments. Due to an unforeseen redundancy at my workplace last month, I am currently navigating a period of significant financial hardship.

Over the past four years, I have prided myself on being a diligent tenant. I have consistently met my rental obligations on time and have taken excellent care of the property, treating it as my own. My record reflects my commitment to maintaining a positive, professional relationship with you throughout my residency.

Given these circumstances, I would like to request a temporary 20% reduction in rent for the next three months while I secure new employment. I am fully committed to settling the outstanding balance and propose a repayment plan where I pay an additional £100 per month once my new contract commences, ensuring the full amount is recovered by the end of the year.

I truly value living here and appreciate your understanding during this difficult transition. I am happy to provide any necessary documentation regarding my employment status if required.

Yours sincerely,

James Miller

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 bullet points with a professional, persuasive tone that maintains the landlord-tenant relationship. The most common mistake for Band 6 is failing to propose a concrete, logical repayment plan, resulting in an incomplete response to the prompt's requirements.

→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

redundancy
Loss of a job because it is unnecessary
navigating
Dealing with a difficult or complex situation
diligent
Showing care and conscientiousness in one's work
obligations
Duties or commitments that one must fulfill
commences
The point at which something begins
transition
The process of changing from one state

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

© 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