5. Home / house / dwelling / accommodation / lodging(s)

home – [n, C/U]

the place where you live; [U] the country or city where you live; [U] the place where you grew up

East or West, home is best. I left home when I was 18.

house – [n, C]

a building made for people to live in, especially one that has more than one level and is intended to be used by one family

I’d like to buy a three-bedroomed house with a garden.

dwelling– [n, C]

(formal) a house, flat, or other shelter in which someone lives, dwelling houses are modern blocks of flats; Synonym: tenement

Some 3,500 new dwellings are planned.

accommodation – [n, U] (accommodations – AmE, formal)

a place for someone to stay, live, or work in; a house, flat or hotel room

The hotel provides accommodation for up to 100 people.

lodging – [n, U/C]

temporary accommodation that you pay to live in

He was given a free lodging in a three-room flat.

lodgings– [n, plural]

a room or set of rooms in someone’s house rented for a living

It’s cheaper to live in lodgings than in a hotel.

a lodger [n, C] someone who pays rent to live in a house with its owner; Synonym: tenant

Jennie took in a lodger to help with the mortgage.

6. Setting / surroundings / environment / neighbourhood

setting – [n, C, usually singular]

all the things that surround someone or something at a particular time, including the events that happen, their environment, the people they are with, or the emotions that are part of that place; the place or the time when the action of a book, film etc. happens

The hotel is located in a charming mountain setting. Canberra is the setting for his latest novel.

surroundings – [n, plural]

all the objects, conditions etc. that are around and may affect someone, all the things that are present in a place and that form the experience of being there; Synonym: the environment

Our new surroundings are a lot more friendly than we expected. The hotel is in beautiful surroundings on the edge of the lake.

environment – [n, C]

the place in which people live and work, including all the physical conditions that affect them; the conditions and influences in which people carry on a particular activity

He grew up in a harsh urban environment. In this competitive environment a business needs to be flexible.

the environment – the natural conditions, including the land, water, air, in which people, animals and plants live

Industrial development is causing widespread damage to the environment.

neighbourhood – [n, C]

a particular area of a city or town; the people who live near each other

He lives in our neighbourhood. The whole neighbourhood came to the school concert.

7. Let / rent

to let – [v]

to allow smb. to use a room, flat, house etc. in return for regular payments

I let the spare room (to a lodger).

to rent – [v]

to regularly pay money to live in a house or room that belongs to someone else

We rent our flat from an old retired couple.

rent – [n, C / U]

the amount of money that you pay regularly to use a house, flat or a piece of land

Jack is short of money – he owes three weeks’ rent. Her monthly rent is $400.