Hire vs. Rent: What's the Difference?
Edited by Huma Saeed || By Sawaira Riaz || Updated on October 7, 2023
Hire often refers to obtaining services or temporary use of an object, while Rent typically implies paying for the use of a property or item over a specified period.
Key Differences
Hire primarily revolves around the act of obtaining services or acquiring temporary usage rights to an object. For instance, we often 'hire' a consultant or 'hire' a tool for a specific job. On the other hand, Rent commonly suggests making a payment for the use of an item, especially real estate, over a predetermined duration. People generally 'rent' apartments or 'rent' cars when they need them for longer durations.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
When we talk about 'hiring' something, the duration can be short and may be event-specific. You might hire a suit for a night or hire a taxi for a ride to the airport. In contrast, 'renting' usually indicates a longer period. You might rent a car for a week or an apartment for a year.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Hire often comes into play in employment contexts, too. Businesses hire employees. Rent, conversely, remains mostly associated with tangible assets. It's less about services and more about using a property or item.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Hire vs. Rent in Payment:
Aimie Carlson
Oct 07, 2023
Both hiring and renting entail some form of payment. However, when you hire, the payment might be for a service or a short-term use. Whereas when you rent, it's commonly a periodic payment, like monthly rent for a house or a daily fee for a rented bicycle.
Sara Rehman
Oct 07, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
Neither hiring nor renting transfers ownership. When you hire a tool or rent a house, the ownership remains with the original owner. The difference lies mainly in context, duration, and sometimes the type of item or service in question.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Comparison Chart
Primary Association
Services and temporary usage of objects
Prolonged use of property or items
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
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Ownership Implication
No transfer of ownership
No transfer of ownership, use of asset over time
Aimie Carlson
Oct 07, 2023
Hire and Rent Definitions
Hire
To employ someone for a job.
They decided to hire a new manager for the project.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Rent
To grant the use of property in return for payment.
He rents out his vacation home during the summer.
Aimie Carlson
Oct 07, 2023
Hire
To obtain the temporary use of an object for a fee.
I'll hire a suit for the wedding.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
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Hire
To grant the use of something in return for payment.
They hire out boats to tourists.
Janet White
Oct 07, 2023
Rent
Payment, usually of an amount fixed by contract, made by a tenant at specified intervals in return for the right to occupy or use the property of another.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Hire
To engage services for a particular task.
We need to hire a consultant to advise on the merger.
Sara Rehman
Oct 07, 2023
Rent
A similar payment made for the use of a facility, equipment, or service provided by another.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Hire
To make an agreement to employ or use.
She was hired on a six-month contract.
Sara Rehman
Oct 07, 2023
Rent
The return derived from cultivated or improved land after deduction of all production costs.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Hire
To engage the services of (a person) for a fee; employ
Hired a new clerk.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
The difference between the price paid for use of a resource whose supply is inelastic and the minimum price at which that resource would still be provided. Also called economic rent.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Hire
To grant the services of or the temporary use of for a fee
Hired himself out as a cook.
Hired out the cottage for the summer.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Hire
To obtain work
She hired on as a deck hand. He hired out as a photographer.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
To obtain occupancy or use of (another's property) in return for regular payments.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
To grant temporary occupancy or use of (one's own property or a service) in return for regular payments
Rents out TV sets.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
A payment made by a tenant at intervals in order to occupy a property.
I am asking £100 a week rent.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Hire
Payment for the temporary use of something.
The sign offered pedalos on hire.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
(economics) A profit from possession of a valuable right, as a restricted license to engage in a trade or business.
A New York city taxicab license earns more than $10,000 a year in rent.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Hire
The state of being hired, or having a job; employment.
When my grandfather retired, he had over twenty mechanics in his hire.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Hire
A person who has been hired, especially in a cohort.
We pair up each of our new hires with one of our original hires.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Hire
(transitive) To obtain the services of in return for fixed payment.
We hired a car for two weeks because ours had broken down.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Hire
(transitive) To employ; to obtain the services of (a person) in exchange for remuneration; to give someone a job.
The company had problems when it tried to hire more skilled workers.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
(transitive) To occupy premises in exchange for rent.
I rented a house from my friend's parents for a year.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Hire
(transitive) To exchange the services of for remuneration.
They hired themselves out as day laborers.
They hired out their basement for Inauguration week.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
(transitive) To grant occupation in return for rent.
We rented our house to our son's friend for a year.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Hire
(transitive) To accomplish by paying for services.
After waiting two years for her husband to finish the tiling, she decided to hire it done.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
(transitive) To obtain or have temporary possession of an object (e.g. a movie) in exchange for money.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
(intransitive) To be leased or let for rent.
The house rents for five hundred dollars a month.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Hire
(transitive) (neologism) (in the Jobs-to-be-Done Theory) To buy something in order for it to perform a function, to do a job
They hired a milkshake.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Hire
The price, reward, or compensation paid, or contracted to be paid, for the temporary use of a thing or a place, for personal service, or for labor; wages; rent; pay.
The laborer is worthy of his hire.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Hire
A bailment by which the use of a thing, or the services and labor of a person, are contracted for at a certain price or reward.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Hire
To procure (any chattel or estate) from another person, for temporary use, for a compensation or equivalent; to purchase the use or enjoyment of for a limited time; as, to hire a farm for a year; to hire money.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Hire
To engage or purchase the service, labor, or interest of (any one) for a specific purpose, by payment of wages; as, to hire a servant, an agent, or an advocate.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
To grant the possession and enjoyment of, for a rent; to lease; as, the owwner of an estate or house rents it.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Hire
To grant the temporary use of, for compensation; to engage to give the service of, for a price; to let; to lease; - now usually with out, and often reflexively; as, he has hired out his horse, or his time.
They . . . have hired out themselves for bread.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
To take and hold under an agreement to pay rent; as, the tennant rents an estate of the owner.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Hire
Engage or hire for work;
They hired two new secretaries in the department
How many people has she employed?
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
To be leased, or let for rent; as, an estate rents for five hundred dollars a year.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
An opening made by rending; a break or breach made by force; a tear.
See what a rent the envious Casca made.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Hire
Engage for service under a term of contract;
We took an apartment on a quiet street
Let's rent a car
Shall we take a guide in Rome?
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
Figuratively, a schism; a rupture of harmony; a separation; as, a rent in the church.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
Income; revenue. See Catel.
[Bacchus] a waster was and all his rentIn wine and bordel he dispent.
So bought an annual rent or two,And liv'd, just as you see I do.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
A certain periodical profit, whether in money, provisions, chattels, or labor, issuing out of lands and tenements in payment for the use; commonly, a certain pecuniary sum agreed upon between a tenant and his landlord, paid at fixed intervals by the lessee to the lessor, for the use of land or its appendages; as, rent for a farm, a house, a park, etc.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
That portion of the produce of the earth paid to the landlord for the use of the "original and indestructible powers of the soil;" the excess of the return from a given piece of cultivated land over that from land of equal area at the "margin of cultivation." Called also economic rent, or Ricardian rent. Economic rent is due partly to differences of productivity, but chiefly to advantages of location; it is equivalent to ordinary or commercial rent less interest on improvements, and nearly equivalent to ground rent.
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
An opening made forcibly as by pulling apart;
There was a rip in his pants
She had snags in her stockings
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
The return derived from cultivated land in excess of that derived from the poorest land cultivated under similar conditions
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
The act of rending or ripping or splitting something;
He gave the envelope a vigorous rip
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
Grant use or occupation of under a term of contract;
I am leasing my country estate to some foreigners
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
Engage for service under a term of contract;
We took an apartment on a quiet street
Let's rent a car
Shall we take a guide in Rome?
Sawaira Riaz
Dec 30, 2022
Rent
To pay for the use of property or an item.
They rent an apartment in the city.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Rent
A regular payment made by a tenant to an owner.
The rent is due on the first of every month.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
FAQs
What does it mean to hire someone?
It means to employ them for a job or task.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Is hiring always short-term?
Not always, but it often implies a shorter duration or specific event.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
What does rent mean?
It refers to paying for the use of property or an item over a period.
Janet White
Oct 07, 2023
Can hire be used in terms of employment?
Yes, businesses often hire employees.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Can you rent services?
Typically, rent is associated with tangible assets, not services.
Aimie Carlson
Oct 07, 2023
How does hire differ from lease?
Hire is generally shorter and can involve services, while a lease is a longer-term contract for tangible assets.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Can you hire objects?
Yes, you can hire objects for temporary use, like tools or equipment.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
What's the typical payment mode for rent?
It's often periodic, such as monthly or weekly.
Harlon Moss
Oct 07, 2023
Can I hire a car?
Yes, though in some contexts, people might use "rent" for cars, especially for prolonged use.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
What is a rent agreement?
It's a contract between a landlord and tenant detailing the terms of property rental.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Do you become the owner when you rent something?
No, renting doesn't confer ownership.
Janet White
Oct 07, 2023
Can a person hire out their skills?
Yes, a freelancer, for instance, can hire out their services.
Sara Rehman
Oct 07, 2023
Which is more permanent, hire or rent?
Rent usually implies a more prolonged period, but neither is permanent.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Is renting typically short-term or long-term?
Renting usually indicates a longer, more extended period.
Sara Rehman
Oct 07, 2023
Can "rent" be used as a noun?
Yes, it can refer to the payment made by a tenant to an owner.
Aimie Carlson
Oct 07, 2023
Is there a cultural difference in using hire or rent?
Yes, in some regions like the UK, "hire" is used where Americans might use "rent," such as "car hire" vs. "car rental."
Harlon Moss
Oct 07, 2023
Are hire and rent interchangeable?
Not always. While they can be in some contexts, they have distinct nuances and usage patterns.
Harlon Moss
Oct 07, 2023
Can businesses rent services?
Typically, businesses hire services and rent tangible assets.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
About Author
Written by
Sawaira RiazSawaira is a dedicated content editor at difference.wiki, where she meticulously refines articles to ensure clarity and accuracy. With a keen eye for detail, she upholds the site's commitment to delivering insightful and precise content.
Edited by
Huma SaeedHuma is a renowned researcher acclaimed for her innovative work in Difference Wiki. Her dedication has led to key breakthroughs, establishing her prominence in academia. Her contributions continually inspire and guide her field.
