Empty residence let for free (7)
I believe the answer is:
release
'free' is the definition.
(to release someone is to free them)
'empty residence let' is the wordplay.
'empty' means to remove the middle letters.
'let' becomes 'lease' (as in to lease or let a building).
'residence' with its middle removed is 're'.
're'+'lease'='RELEASE'
'for' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for release that I've seen before include "Issue" , "Possibly film" , "Let go" , "press announcement" , "put out" .)