🏨 Accommodation Vocabulary

Part 1: Accommodation Collocations

Collocations are words that naturally go together. These phrases are common when talking about places to stay.

Collocation	Example	Meaning
check into a hotel	"We checked into a hotel near the beach."	Register and begin your stay
book a room	"I booked a room with a sea view."	Reserve accommodation
fully furnished apartment	"We rented a fully furnished apartment downtown."	Apartment with all furniture included
shared accommodation	"Students often live in shared accommodation."	Housing shared with others
long-term rental	"He signed a long-term rental contract."	Rental agreement for several months or more
security deposit	"We paid a security deposit before moving in."	Money paid in case of damage

Collocation	Example
vacant room	"The hotel only had one vacant room left."
maintenance request	"I submitted a maintenance request for a broken heater."
tenant agreement	"Make sure you read the tenant agreement carefully."
monthly utilities	"Monthly utilities are not included in the rent."
private balcony	"Our room comes with a private balcony."

1. We need to __________ a room before the holiday season starts.

2. They __________ into a small hotel in the old town.

3. Students often choose __________ accommodation to save money.

4. The landlord asked for a __________ deposit before handing over the keys.

5. They prefer a __________ furnished apartment so they don't need to buy furniture.

Idioms add colour and natural expression to your English when talking about accommodation and living situations.

live out of a suitcase – move constantly; not settle "I lived out of a suitcase for a year while travelling."
home sweet home – happiness of returning home "After a long trip, it felt like home sweet home."
house-hunting – searching for a place to live "They're house-hunting this weekend."
make yourself at home – relax and act as if you are home "Come in and make yourself at home."
break the bank – cost too much "Staying in that luxury hotel will break the bank."
a roof over your head – basic shelter "At least we still have a roof over our heads."

1. They spent the whole weekend __________-hunting in the countryside.

2. Staying in that five-star resort would definitely __________ the bank.

3. After months of travelling, he was tired of living out of a __________.

4. Come in, sit down, and make yourself at __________.

5. Things were tough, but at least they still had a __________ over their heads.

These phrasal verbs are commonly used when talking about accommodation, staying somewhere, or renting.

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example
move in	Start living in a new place	"They moved in last weekend."
move out	Stop living in a place	"We have to move out by the end of the month."
look around	Inspect or explore a place	"Let's look around the apartment before deciding."
check out	Leave a hotel after paying	"We need to check out by noon."
settle in	Become comfortable in a new place	"It took a few days to settle in."

Move in / move out are essential for talking about life transitions.

Settle in is perfect for describing adjustment.

Look around is common when viewing a property.

1. We’ll __________ in once the furniture arrives.

2. They need to __________ out before the new tenants come.

3. Take your time and __________ around the flat before deciding.

4. It took her a few weeks to really __________ in after the move.

5. We have to __________ out by 11 AM tomorrow.

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