Roger Woodham replies:hire or rent?

The meaning is the same: to rent or hire something, you pay money in order to be allowed to use it for a limited amount of time. It is simply a matter of usage. With some nouns you can use one or the other it doesn't matter which as both are freely used. You can: rent or hire cars, bikes, electronic equipment:

• 'We rented a TV and video as we intended to stay in England for only six months.'

• 'If you're planning to go to Cambridge for the day, hire a bike when you arrive. It's the best way to get round the town.'

With other nouns it is customary in British English to use one and not the other. We would: rent a flat, caravan, cottage, house:

• 'I rented a cottage by the sea for the summer.'

• 'He rented me his flat in London while he was on holiday in Greece.'

(However, note the difference in use, depending on whether it is used as a verb or a noun: flats to rent, but bikes for hire)

We hire some help (i.e people), tools, equipment:

• 'I had too much to do on the farm, so I decided to hire some help three mornings a week.'

• 'The police enquiries were making no progress, so we decided to hire a private detective.'
• 'I was painting the outside of the house and had to hire a tall ladder to get to the top.'