A renter is someone who pays money to use something that belongs to someone else, usually a house or apartment. Instead of owning the place where they live, renters pay the owner (called a landlord) a regular amount, typically each month, for the right to live there.

Renting makes sense in many situations. A college student might rent an apartment near campus for four years instead of buying a house. A family might rent while saving money to buy their own home someday, or because they know they'll move to another city for work in a year or two. Some people rent their entire lives by choice, preferring not to deal with home repairs, property taxes, or the responsibilities of ownership.

The arrangement works both ways: the renter gets a place to live without the huge expense of buying property, while the landlord earns income from something they own. A rental agreement usually includes rules about things like whether you can have pets, paint the walls, or how much notice you need to give before moving out.

You can rent other things too: families rent cars on vacation, students rent textbooks for a semester, and companies rent office space. In each case, you're paying to use something temporarily rather than owning it permanently.