賃貸

• Reading: ちんたい
• Romaji: chintai
• Kanji breakdown: 賃 (chin) — wage, fee, rent; 貸 (tai/ka) — lend, lease
• Pronunciation: /t͡ɕiɴ.ta.i/

Meaning

Rental; leasing. The act of renting out property, especially housing and real estate.

A noun and suru-verb central to housing in Japan, where renting is extremely common. Key collocations include 賃貸マンション (chintai manshon, rental apartment building), 賃貸契約 (chintai keiyaku, rental agreement), and 賃貸物件 (chintai bukken, rental property). Often contrasted with 持ち家 (mochiie, owned home) or 分譲 (bunjou, for-sale property). The related term 家賃 (yachin) means rent (the payment).

Examples

1. 駅近くの賃貸マンションに住んでいる。 I live in a rental apartment near the station.
2. 賃貸と購入のどちらが得か迷っている。 I'm torn between renting and buying — which is the better deal.
3. 賃貸契約を更新する手続きをした。 I went through the process of renewing my rental agreement.

Usage Guide

Context: real estate, housing, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 賃 (chin, wage/fee) + 貸 (tai, lend). Literally 'fee-lending' — lending property in exchange for payment.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal