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rent-free

American

[rent-free] / ˈrɛntˈfri /

adverb

without payment of rent.

We lived rent-free for six months.

adjective

not subject to rent.

a rent-free apartment.

rent-free British

adjective

without payment of rent

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of rent-free

First recorded in 1625–35; rent ¹ + -free

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The U.S. already maintains a large military-base in northern Greenland rent-free.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

My 28-year-old son, his girlfriend and their baby live with me rent-free.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 17, 2025

The Angels play rent-free under the current lease because, under Disney ownership in 1996, they paid $97 million toward a stadium renovation that cost $117 million.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2025

The show has lived rent-free in McCain's head since, with the commentator regularly returning to her time on the panel.

From Salon • Feb. 27, 2025

She’ll have a rent-free apartment until the end of next year; maybe that’ll help her get back on her feet.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023