IELTS Semi-formal Letter: Letter to landlord regarding unreturned rental deposit

The task

You paid a refundable deposit when you rented an apartment. You left the apartment in good condition but the Landlord won't return your deposit.

Write a letter to the landlord. In your letter:

→explain why you are writing
→ask for the return of your deposit
→inform the landlord of possible legal action

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

Model answer

Band 8 sample letter

Band 8182 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I am writing to formally request the return of the 1,500 pound security deposit I paid upon moving into the apartment at 12 Oakwood Terrace. My tenancy ended on 15 October, and it has now been over a month since I vacated the premises.

During our final inspection, you confirmed that the property was left in excellent condition, matching the state in which I received it. As I have fulfilled all terms of our tenancy agreement and have no outstanding utility bills, I am entitled to the full refund of my deposit. Despite my previous two emails regarding this matter, I have yet to receive the funds or any explanation for the delay.

Please arrange for the transfer of the full amount to my bank account by the end of this week. If the money is not received by 25 November, I will have no choice but to initiate legal proceedings through the small claims court to recover the debt. I would prefer to resolve this matter amicably and look forward to your prompt response.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan 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.

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Examiner's view

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response clearly addresses all three bullet points with a professional, firm tone and logical paragraph structure. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to provide a specific deadline for the payment or using overly aggressive, informal language that undermines the seriousness of the complaint.

→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

vacated
left a place that you were living in
premises
the building and land that a business owns
outstanding
not yet paid or resolved as expected
initiate
to cause a process to start or begin
proceedings
a series of actions taken in a court
amicably
in a friendly and peaceable manner

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

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