The lease on your flat is due to end soon, and you would like to renew it. Write a letter to your usual contact at the letting agency.
This letter combines a routine renewal request with a repair complaint and a query about a rent increase, three tasks that could easily read as one long list.
The question
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The lease on your flat is due to end soon, and you would like to renew it. Write a letter to your usual contact at the letting agency.
In your letter,
say that you would like to renew the lease, and for how long
explain a repair problem that needs to be fixed
ask about a change to the tenancy terms, such as the rent
You do not need to write your own address. Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Mr Sinclair,
Write at least 150 words.
What this letter needs
The challenge in this scenario is sequencing three different purposes, renewing, complaining, and negotiating, so that each gets enough development without the letter feeling like separate emails stitched together. The repair issue in particular needs to be linked logically to the rent question, since a leak left unfixed for months is the writer's justification for questioning the proposed increase.
Structure
Salutation — Dear Mr/Ms [Surname], — your usual point of contact at the agency, not a general enquiries address.
Opening — State that you want to renew the lease and for how long, so the main purpose is established first.
Body 1 — Raise the repair issue as a condition you would like addressed before signing, giving the date it was first reported.
Body 2 — Query the proposed rent increase, linking it back to the unresolved repair to justify why you are questioning it.
Body 3 — Suggest a way forward, such as reconsidering the figure or phasing it in.
Closing — Ask for a response and confirm you want to move ahead with the renewal once these points are resolved.
Model answers
Band 6.0 model answer
167 words
Dear Mr Sinclair,
I am writing about my flat at 24 Marchmont Road, which I have rented through your agency for the past year. My current lease is due to end next month, and I would like to renew it for another 12 months, as I have been happy living here.
Before I sign the new contract, I would like to ask about a repair problem. There is a leak under the bathroom sink that I first reported in June, but nobody has come to fix it yet, and the cupboard underneath is now damaged from the water. I would really appreciate it if this could be repaired before the new lease starts.
I also noticed in the renewal letter that the rent will increase by £100 per month. This seems like a big increase, especially since the leak has still not been fixed. I would like to ask if this amount could be reconsidered, or if a smaller increase would be possible.
Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
Why this is Band 6.0
Covers all three points but plainly — the rent increase is raised in a short, direct statement: 'This seems like a big increase.'
Vocabulary is basic, e.g. 'big increase' and 'a repair problem' rather than more specific terms.
The link between the leak and the rent question is present but underdeveloped, stated as two separate facts rather than connected reasoning.
Sentences are mostly short and simply joined with 'and' or 'but'.
Band 7.0 model answer
190 words
Dear Mr Sinclair,
I am writing regarding my flat at 24 Marchmont Road, which I have rented through your agency for the past year. As my current lease is due to expire next month, I would like to renew it for a further 12 months, having been very happy with the property so far.
Before signing the new agreement, however, I would like to raise a repair issue that has been outstanding since June: there is a persistent leak under the bathroom sink, which I reported at the time but which has still not been addressed. As a result, the cupboard beneath it has now started to warp from the water damage. I would be grateful if this could be resolved before the new lease begins.
I also noticed that the renewal letter proposes a rent increase of £100 per month, which seems fairly steep, particularly given that the leak has yet to be fixed. I would appreciate it if this figure could be reconsidered, or at least discussed further.
I look forward to hearing back from you so that we can proceed with the renewal.
Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
Why this is Band 7.0
Content is fully covered and logically sequenced: renewal, then repair, then rent, each building on the last.
Uses less common vocabulary accurately, such as 'outstanding' and 'warp from the water damage'.
Links the repair and the rent increase explicitly: 'which seems fairly steep, particularly given that the leak has yet to be fixed.'
Register stays consistently polite but assertive, e.g. 'I would appreciate it if this figure could be reconsidered.'
Band 8.5 model answer
205 words
Dear Mr Sinclair,
I am writing regarding my flat at 24 Marchmont Road, which I have rented through your agency for the past year and been very happy in throughout. As my current lease is due to expire next month, I would like to renew it for a further 12 months.
Before putting my signature to a new agreement, though, there is an outstanding repair I would like resolved: a persistent leak under the bathroom sink, first reported back in June, which has still not been attended to and has now warped the cupboard beneath it. I would be grateful if this could be dealt with before, rather than after, the new lease takes effect.
I also noticed that the renewal letter proposes a rent increase of £100 per month. Given that the leak has gone unaddressed for the better part of three months, this feels like a steep ask, and I would welcome the opportunity to discuss whether the figure might be reconsidered, or at the very least phased in more gradually.
I would appreciate your thoughts on both matters at your earliest convenience, so that we can move ahead with the renewal on terms that work for both sides.
Yours sincerely, [Your Name]
Why this is Band 8.5
Content covered with real precision — the connection between the unresolved leak and the rent increase is the most developed argument in the letter: 'Given that the leak has gone unaddressed for the better part of three months, this feels like a steep ask.'
Natural, idiomatic phrasing such as 'putting my signature to a new agreement' and 'a steep ask.'
Flexible complex grammar handled with no strain, e.g. the long sentence balancing the repair's history with the request to have it 'dealt with before, rather than after, the new lease takes effect.'
Precise vocabulary with no padding: 'attended to', 'phased in' and 'at your earliest convenience' are all used accurately.
Closing line negotiates diplomatically, 'terms that work for both sides', rather than simply repeating the complaint.
Model answers written and reviewed by The English All-in-One IELTS team. They are teaching models showing what each band looks like, not real candidate scripts.
This is a semi-formal letter question. The answers above show you what each band looks like when it is finished. What they cannot show you is how to get there from a blank page in twenty minutes.
That is what our Writing Study Library is for: the structure we teach for this exact question type, the paragraph pattern that goes with it, and the sentence openers for each stage — so the letter is planned before you start writing rather than assembled as you go.
Answers checked here may be published on this page, without your name, to help other learners. Nothing else about you is stored.
Common questions
Should I mention the repair and the rent increase in the same letter, or write two separate letters?
One letter is expected and works better — linking them, as in 'Given that the leak has gone unaddressed... this feels like a steep ask', actually strengthens your case for questioning the rent increase.
Is it appropriate to link an unresolved repair to a rent negotiation?
Yes, this is a natural and persuasive connection to make in a semi-formal letter, as long as it's phrased diplomatically rather than as a threat, for example asking whether the figure 'might be reconsidered' rather than refusing to pay it.
How firm should I be about the renewal itself if these issues aren't resolved?
You don't need to threaten not to renew — simply stating that you want to 'move ahead with the renewal on terms that work for both sides' implies the issues need addressing without turning the letter into an ultimatum.
Do I need to give the exact date the repair was first reported?
It strengthens the letter considerably — a specific date, like a leak 'first reported back in June', proves the problem isn't new and justifies your frustration far better than a vague reference to 'a while ago'.
