UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549




                                    FORM 8-K


                                 CURRENT REPORT


                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934

         Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) December 21, 2005

                               Shelter Properties III
               (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)


            South Carolina            0-10260                 57-0718508
      (State or other jurisdiction  (Commission            (I.R.S. Employer
           of incorporation)        File Number)         Identification Number)

                                55 Beattie Place
                              Post Office Box 1089
                        Greenville, South Carolina 29602
                    (Address of principal executive offices)


                                 (864) 239-1000
                           (Issuer's telephone number)

Check  the  appropriate  box  below  if the  Form  8-K  filing  is  intended  to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligations of the registrant under any of the
following provisions:

[ ]   Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17
      CFR 230.425)

[ ]   Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
      240.14a-12)

[ ]   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the
      Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[ ]   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the
      Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))









Item 1.02   Termination of a Material Definitive Agreement.

Shelter Properties III (the "Registrant"),  a South Carolina limited partnership
owns Essex Park Apartments  ("Essex Park"), a 323-unit apartment complex located
in Columbia,  South Carolina. As previously disclosed,  on November 2, 2005, the
Registrant  and ten  other  partnerships  (together  with  the  Registrant,  the
"Selling  Partnerships"),  entered  into  a  Purchase  and  Sale  Contract  (the
"Purchase  Agreement") with a third party, The Bethany Group,  LLC, a California
limited liability company (the "Purchaser"),  to sell twelve apartment complexes
and one parcel of land owned by the Selling  Partnerships to the Purchaser for a
total sales price of  $161,250,000,  of which  $8,979,592 was to be allocated to
Essex  Park.  Each  of  the  Selling   Partnerships  is  affiliated  with  AIMCO
Properties,  L.P.,  an  affiliate  of  the  corporate  general  partner  of  the
Registrant.

On December 21, 2005, the Selling Partnerships delivered written notice of their
election  to  terminate  the  Purchase  Agreement  pursuant to its terms and the
Purchase Agreement was thereby terminated.







                                    SIGNATURE


Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  the
Registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.



                             Shelter Properties III



                                By:   Shelter Realty III Corporation
                                      Corporate General Partner

                                By:   /s/Martha L. Long
                                      Martha L. Long
                                      Senior Vice President


                                Date: December 30, 2005