An email to explain an accommodation problem

An email to explain an accommodation problem

Learn how to write an email to explain a problem with your accommodation.

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and tips and do the exercises.

Preparation

Reading text

From: Eloisa Marr
To: Sam Matthews [landlord]
Subject: 32 Acacia Avenue electricity problem

Dear Sam,

I'm writing on behalf of myself and my flatmates about Number 32 Acacia Avenue as we've been having problems with the electricity.

We noticed that if we use more than one appliance at night when the lights are on, the power cuts out. This means that we can't use the dishwasher at the same time as the oven, for example. For a while we have been careful but recently we have found that even in the daytime, more than one machine running can cause a power cut. Occasionally, the power cuts out for no obvious reason.

We know the electrician who came before couldn't find anything wrong, but please can someone come again as the problem is getting worse? If it would be easier, we can arrange an electrician ourselves and send you the bill.

Kind regards,

Eloisa

Tips

  1. To email someone who's not a friend, use a neutral style and polite tone.
  2. Start the email with Dear … , not Hi. End it with Kind regards or just Regards.
  3. Organise your email in three paragraphs:
    • why you're writing
    • the problem
    • what you want the solution to be
  4. Keep it short and simple. Only include the important information.
  5. Put specific information in the subject line. Don't just put Problem.

Task 1

Task 2

Task 3

Discussion

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Language level

Average: 4.4 (10 votes)
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Submitted by senes19 on Sat, 27/06/2020 - 10:57

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Hello, I have lived in a rented apartment when I started a university. There were some accommodation problems with house. It wasn't too bad the problem. Our fountain didn't flow water. We have asked to landlady why it isn't not working? She has replied us we should find a plumber and she will pay for this. We have thanked her for answering. We have looked for a well known plumber and some of my friend has offered a man who is good qualification. He came but he didnt solve our problems. Finally we had to change our house. The landlady has apologized for the bad experience. And then we have moved another place where belongs to same person. It lasted one week and it was a very bad situation for us.

Submitted by gdeamond on Mon, 11/05/2020 - 21:17

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I never lived in a rented apartment. So, I'd never have to ask for rented accommodation. Yet, I had to ask for pipelines accommodations to the upstairs neighbor. His shower pipes were leaking, causing a musty smell in my closet. I tried to be nice, calm and polite. Nevertheless, my neighbor was pretty rude when I asked him. He said that he won't make any accommodation. He told me that it wasn’t his problem and if I had that musty smell I couldn’t prove that was caused by his leak, because there was no leak. Then I asked the President of the Condominium Board to intercede. He talked to him, I’m not absolutely sure what they talked, but after that he accepted to ask for a plumber to check out his shower. The plumber said that indeed his shower had has a leak. Then he accepted to make the accommodation.

Submitted by gladysbejaranoa on Mon, 11/05/2020 - 19:01

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Hello everyone! A few years ago, when I just started university and stoped living with my parents I rent a room on my flat in order to gaing a little money and to have some company. But my first flatmate wasnt the best, even thougt we had about the same age, were form the same town and studied on the same university, our personalities and manners where so differents that we never got agree on anything. Maybe beause she was very demading and didnt tried to get along. Eventually I wrote her an mail like this: Dear Lucía. I'm writing you to let you now that the room i am renting to you is not going to be avalible next January, my cousing Andrea is looking a flat and I can't afford rejecting her. I am coffindent you are going to find a good place soon, two moths is i think is time enough to find it. Kind Regards, Gladys.

Submitted by nelsonmm on Mon, 11/05/2020 - 18:09

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I'm trying to remember, but I think I have never had a bad experience in a rented accommodation. In my case was the opposite, a long time ago I went to a hotel beach with my girlfriend and we said to the man in the reception that we were in our honeymoon, and as a hotel compliment he upgraded our room for free, he gave us a suite with a big balcony and a bottle of champagne for free. Every morning when we had breakfast the waiter gave us a lot of advice about married like and told stories about himself. It was the same story by the pool or the beach, apparently, the entire hotel believed we were just married. Because of that, we have to be committed to our little lie and play along when we talked to them. Now, some people call it divine justice, but one day we took a trip to a beautiful little island to snorkel, and when we just jump into the water a bug sting my girlfriend pretty bad and we had to come out and lay on the sand while the pain went away.
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Submitted by JuanManuelLopezGil on Tue, 21/04/2020 - 00:40

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Of course. Right now I share lodging with a Nepalese couple that cooks food with a hard smell that dirty my clothes and room. Is important to respect other cultures but keep a good compartment with roommates because might are from different-cultures. For this reason, all people must keep the common areas of their accommodation clean and organized; respecting the spaces of others. This couple is bad with me because do not clean the kitchen and I can't stand its smell... S.O.S

Submitted by Gabriel Rojas Esté on Fri, 17/04/2020 - 17:12

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Hello everybody, My worst experience in rented accommodation was five or six year ago in a flat. We had had several problems with the WIFI. So, I wrote an email to my landlord like this: ‘Dear Mr. Satochi, I’m writing on behalf of myself and my wife about Number 1447 Connecticut Street as we’ve been having problems with the wireless internet connection. We noticed that if we use more than one device at afternoon the connection got very slowly. This means that we can’t use the laptop at the same time as the streaming TV, for example. Usually, the WIFI internet connection cuts out for no obvious reason. We know the technician who came before apparently fix the problem, but please can you send someone again? If it would be easier, we can call someone and send you the bill. Kind regards, Gabriel’ Fortunately, my landlord send a technician and he fixed the problem.
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Submitted by Magedelabd on Sat, 21/03/2020 - 18:39

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I always hvae a bad experience with thw hospital a commendation. The room is in clean . The TV is not working and the refrigerant as well.
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Submitted by Nikolaos Stavr… on Fri, 20/03/2020 - 08:48

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Sorry, I made a mistake. I wanted to say, caused by mold. Nikolaos
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Submitted by Nikolaos Stavr… on Fri, 20/03/2020 - 08:45

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Hi!! I rented a room in the hight street six months ago. I became sick, I had been coughing by mold. Well, I was complaining about the wooden floor in my room, it was basically rotten due to the water which was dripping from the radiator. Each time I complained the old man (landlord) threatened to increase the rent. My complaints fell on deaf ears. Nikolaos