Renting Comes From a Word Meaning Given Back
Renting is paying for the use of something you do not own. The word derives from the Latin for something rendered or paid back.
Renting is paying regularly for the use of property you do not own. The word traces to Latin *reddita*, things given back or rendered — rent was originally what a tenant rendered to a landlord, in money or in kind. The same root gives *render* and *rendition*.
- Paying for the use of property. *Renting a flat.*
- Letting property to others. *He rents out two rooms.*
- Rent — the payment itself. *The rent is due.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | renting | Renting is common here. |
| Verb | rent | Rent a car. |
| Noun | rent | Monthly rent. |
| Person | tenant | A long-standing tenant. |
| Person | landlord | The landlord agreed. |
How it is used in a sentence
- They have been renting for six years.The activity.
- He rents out the top floor.Rent out is what the owner does.
- Rent arrears are the main cause of eviction.Housing policy.
Renting vocabulary
- Tenancy — the legal arrangement
- Deposit — money held against damage or arrears
- Landlord / tenant — the two parties
- Let — the British verb for renting out
- Sublet — a tenant renting to someone else
From Old French *rente*, income from property, from Latin *reddita*, things paid, from *reddere*, to give back. A different *rent*, meaning a tear, comes from the verb *rend*.
Rent or let?
In Britain a landlord lets a property and a tenant rents it. American English uses rent for both directions.
Are the two *rents* related?
No. Rent meaning payment comes from Latin. Rent meaning a tear comes from the Old English verb rend.