rental

rental — noun

1. a deal in which a person pays a set sum to use a property, vehicle, or tool for

1.nounB1
Definition

a deal in which a person pays a set sum to use a property, vehicle, or tool for a limited time; also, the payment made for this type of deal.

Example

Minh signed a six-month rental for an apartment in Osaka before moving there for work.

rental + for + [period] + [property]

The monthly rental for the office space was NT$35,000, which included water and electricity bills.

monthly rental + [amount] + includes

Common collocations
  • car rental
  • equipment rental
  • boat rental
  • monthly rental
  • rental fee
  • rental period
Synonyms
  • lease

    more formal and typically refers to a long-term written contract for property, not a short arrangement

  • hire

    used in British English for short-term rental; 'car hire' is common in the UK but not in the US

  • letting

    British term specifically for renting out a house or flat for a period

Grammar Patterns

rental + of + [item]

rental + for + [period/price]

a/the rental + on + [item]

Usage Note

Countable but most common in the singular form. Use 'rental on [item]' when referring to the fee for a specific object, and 'rental for [period]' when specifying duration. The meaning (arrangement vs. price) is usually clear from context.

Common Mistakes

The rental was too expensive for me' (ambiguous — could mean the price or the thing rented).
The rental fee was too expensive for me.
Add 'fee,' 'price,' or 'cost' when you mean the amount of money.

2. any item — for instance, a flat, vehicle, or tool — that someone pays to use tem

2.nounB1
Definition

any item — for instance, a flat, vehicle, or tool — that someone pays to use temporarily rather than purchasing.

Example

The yellow bicycle was a rental, so Théo returned it before the shop closed at six.

be a rental

Gita stayed in a holiday rental near the beach in Hualien during the summer break.

holiday rental

Common collocations
  • holiday rental
  • vacation rental
  • ski rental
  • be a rental
  • use a rental
Synonyms
  • rented property

    clearer and less ambiguous, especially in formal writing

  • let

    British English, used mainly for rented houses or flats

Antonyms
  • purchase

    something you buy rather than rent

Grammar Patterns

be a rental

a holiday rental

rental + location

Usage Note

Frequently used with a preceding modifier such as 'holiday,' 'vacation,' or 'ski' to specify the type of rented property or item. In context, 'the rental' alone can refer to a rented car or house if the referent is clear.

Common Mistakes

We found a holiday rental agreement near the lake' (rental agreement means the contract, not the house).
We found a holiday rental near the lake.
Omit 'agreement' when referring to the property itself.

rental — adjective

Word family

  • rent
    verbA2
  • rent
    nounA2
  • renter
    nounB1
  • rentable
    adjectiveB2
  • rent-free
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Rent (the noun) focuses on the money paid: 'The rent is due on the first.' It can also refer to the act of renting. Rental (noun/1) is broader — it can mean the arrangement itself or the payment, and it is often used in compounds: 'car rental,' 'rental agreement.' Lease is a formal, written contract, typically for long-term property use (a year or more), and carries legal weight: 'We signed a five-year lease on the office.' Hire (chiefly British) covers short-term rental of objects or services: 'car hire,' 'hire of a boat.' Letting (British) refers specifically to the renting out of a house or flat: 'holiday letting.' In American English, 'rental' dominates across all these contexts. Choose 'lease' for long-term formal contracts, 'rental' for general arrangements and items, and 'hire' or 'letting' when writing for a British audience.

rent ↗lease ↗hire ↗letting ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • car rental
  • equipment rental
  • boat rental
  • holiday rental
  • vacation rental
  • rental car
  • rental property
  • rental apartment
  • rental agreement
  • rental income
  • rental fee
  • rental period
  • rental company
  • rental market

Phrases

  • sign a rental
  • pay the rental
  • check rental options
  • offer rentals

Prepositions

  • rental for [period/price]
  • rental of [item]
  • rental on [item]

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Rental comes from the Latin word 'reddere,' meaning 'to give back or pay.' In medieval Latin, 'renta' referred to annual income or revenue from land. The word passed into Old French as 'rente' (revenue, profit from land), and then into Middle English around the 13th century to describe money paid for the use of property. The noun 'rental' originally referred to the amount of rent paid. The modern use as an adjective describing items available for rent developed in the early 20th century alongside the growth of car rental and equipment hire industries.