hire
- rent - let
‘hire’ and ‘rent’
If you pay a sum of money in order to use something for a short period of time, you can say that you hire it or rent it. Hire is more common in British English and rent is more common in American English.
We hired a car from a local car agency and drove across the island.
He rented a car for the weekend.
If you make a series of payments in order to use something for a long period, you say that you rent it. You do not usually say that you ‘hire’ it.
A month's deposit may be required before you can rent the house.
‘hire out’
If you hire something from someone, you can say that they hire it out to you.
Companies hiring out boats do well in the summer months.
‘rent out’
If you rent something from someone, you can say that they rent it out to you.
They had to rent out the upstairs room.
‘let’ and ‘let out’
If you rent a building or piece of land from someone, you can say that they let it to you or let it out to you. The past tense and -ed participle of let is let.
The cottage was let to an actor from London.
I couldn't sell the house, so I let it out.
This usage is more common in British English than American English. The usual American terms are rent and rent out.
The house was rented to a farmer.
He repaired the boat and rented it out for $150.