RENT AND HIRE

Summer is here together with planning your holidays and making sure you have everything you need to make this period of relaxation as comfortable as possible. Some people feel the need to buy everything well in advance, depending on where and how they plan to spend their vacation. Others, however, leave everything up to the very last minute and only think about what they’re missing when they’re already on the beach of their choice. For them, and all those who like to do things on the spur of the moment, renting or hiring services are a godsend.

When you rent something, you pay money to use things that originally do not belong to you for a shorter period of time. Some rented items are used on the spot, but they are primarily taken along after the renter provides some kind of guarantee that they will be returned. Many times there is an extra fee, for example, which is returned when the rented product is taken back. Hiring usually means that you pay money for the services of someone, but in some English speaking countries it also has a similar meaning and function as renting. 

There can be a number of reasons for renting things instead of buying them. People usually rent things when they only need them for a certain amount of time, to use temporarily, such as special tools and equipment, or when they need something that they do not own or that is not within reach and available, like a car or a bicycle when on a trip. You can also rent services for as long as you need them, when using a computer at an Internet café or riding in a taxicab, for example, which is more often called ‘hiring’. People also rent things instead of buying them because this a cheaper solution when they only need something for a certain amount of time, like when you are renting movies, for example. Another advantage of renting is that you do not need to worry about the product’s maintenance and how long it will last. And last but not least, renting can be a more environmentally friendly way to get some products you need because by renting an item, you actually share it with others in the long run and this way there is less overproduction and also less waste because the products are put to a more efficient use.

There are long-term and short-term rentals of all kinds of products and more and more people choose to rent rather than purchase. In the U.S., for example, many people ‘rent-to-own’, which means that they rent furniture or appliances.

When on holiday, people primarily rent apartments for the duration of their stay. This is many times much more cost-effective than staying in hotels, especially if it’s a family or a group of friends on holiday together. But you can also rent camping equipment, including tents, sleeping bags and the necessary gear for cooking, which is an even better way to cut the cost of a holiday, although perhaps it is not an ideally comfortable option for everyone.Holiday homes

Renting a car

When you decide to stay in a rented apartment or cottage, you will probably have to show some kind of an identity document, which the landlord can register, and maybe even sign a rental agreement or a short-term contract. This is a form of guarantee for the person leasing in case there is some damage done to the rental, but also for the renter to avoid being blamed for any damage that was already present at the time of renting. Next you might also have to pay a damage deposit, which is a refundable fee and is used only to cover the cost of repairing the rental in case it is damaged during use.

On holiday or a trip people also usually rent transport equipment such as cars, motorbikes and bicycles. There are a number of car rental or car hire agencies that rent automobiles for short periods of time, from just a few hours to several weeks. You can almost always find car rental agencies at airports, large stations, ports and busy city areas. They also have several local branches so that the renter can return the vehicle to a different location. Naturally, the vehicle must be returned in the same condition it was at the time of renting and in some cases there are also certain mileage restrictions. If you surpass the mileage limit, you will probably have to pay an extra fee. Car rentals can also have a different minimum and maximum rental age limit regardless of when the renter had got his or her driving license. In addition to the basic rental, you can ask for extra products such as insurance, GPS navigation systems, entertainment systems and even mobile phones, for an extra fee of course. In some countries you will also have to have an International Driving Permit besides a valid driver’s license. You can pick and reserve the vehicle you would like to rent in advance online through the agency website.

In case you have money to spend, you can also think about renting a small ship or boat. This kind of renting is called ‘chartering’ and the charged fee is referred to as a ‘hire’ instead of a ‘rent’ as in the case of houses, apartments and rooms. 

At the beach

Once you get to the beach, you can usually rent a number of things, especially if it’s a popular tourist attraction. Most frequented beaches have deckchairs (or beach chairs), sun loungers (or sunbeds) and parasols (or sunbrellas) for hire. However, depending on the daily fee for such beach gear, you might have to spend less money if you just buy a beach mat and parasol, even if you leave them behind at the end of your holiday.

Other popular beach equipment for hire can include boogie boards, jet skis and boats, catamarans, stand-up paddle boards and aqua trikes, snorkeling and beach sports equipment, to name just a few. You might have to book ahead in peak holiday periods, but you do not need a license to operate these kinds of beach equipment, safety gear is generally included in the hire and there is a safety and operation briefing before the hire period starts.

Did you know? 
The first car rental company in America, Hertz was established in 1918, originally called Rent-a-Car with twelve Ford Model T cars on offer in Chicago.

in advance – előre
on the spur of the moment – a pillanat hatása alatt. spontánul
godsend – áldás, isteni adomány
to belong – tartozni (valakihez)
on the spot – heylszínen
to take along – (magával) vinni
fee – díj, illeték
temporarily – ideiglenesen
tool – eszköz
to own – birtokolni
within reach – elérhető távolságban
available – rendelkezésre álló
solution – megoldás
advantage – előny
maintenance – fenntartás
environmentally friendly – környezetbarát
in the long run – hosszútávon
overproduction – túltermelés
waste – hulladék, pazarlás
efficient  – hatékony
long-term – hosszú lejáratú
short-term – rövid lejáratú
to purchase – vásárolni, venni
appliance – készülék
duration of someone’s stay – tartózkodási időtartam
cost-effective – költséghatékony
tent – sátor
sleeping bag – hálózsák
gear – felszerelés
to cut the cost – csökkenteni a költségeket
landlord – főbérlő, háziúr
rental agreement – bérleti szerződés
contract – szerződés
to lease    – bérbeadni
damage – kár
to avoid – elkerülni
to blame – hibáztatni, okolni
deposit – letét, előleg, foglaló
refundable – visszatéríthető
port – kikötő
condition – (itt) állapot
mileage restriction – mérföld korlátozás
to surpass – felülmúlni, meghaladni
regardless of – függetlenül valamitől
driving license – vezetői engedély, jogosítvány
insurance – biztosítás
international driving permit – nemzetközi jogosítvány
valid – érvényes
to pick – kiválasztani
to reserve – lefoglalni
to charter – hajót bérelni
charged – felszámolt
to refer to – vonatkozni valamire
frequented – sűrűn látogatott
deckchair – nyugágy
sun lounger – napozóágy
parasol – napernyő
beach gear – strandfelszerelés
beach mat – strandgyékény
paddle – evezőlapát
aqua trike – vizibicikli
snorkeling – (szabadtüdős) könnyűbúvárkodás
peak – csúcs
safety gear – biztonsági felszerelés
briefing     – eligazítás, tájékosztatás