Mieten vs. vermieten
The German verbs mieten and vermieten both translate to to rent, but they describe the action from opposite perspectives. The difference lies in who is performing the action: the person paying (the tenant) or the person receiving payment (the landlord).
Mieten
A2The verb mieten means to rent something from someone. It describes the action from the perspective of the person who pays money to use something, such as a tenant or a customer.
Wir wollen eine Wohnung in Berlin mieten.
(We want to rent an apartment in Berlin.)
Für den Urlaub habe ich ein Auto gemietet.
(I rented a car for the vacation.)
Kann man hier günstig Fahrräder mieten?
(Can one rent bicycles cheaply here?)
Die Studenten mieten sich gemeinsam ein Haus.
(The students are renting a house together.)
Die Firma mietet zusätzliche Büroräume.
(The company is renting additional office space.)
Er hat einen Anzug für die Hochzeit gemietet.
(He rented a suit for the wedding.)
Vermieten
A2The verb vermieten means to rent something out to someone. It describes the action from the perspective of the owner or landlord who receives money for letting someone else use their property.
Die Eigentümerin möchte ihre Wohnung in Berlin vermieten.
(The owner wants to rent out her apartment in Berlin.)
Die Agentur vermietet Autos an Touristen.
(The agency rents cars out to tourists.)
Sie vermietet ein Zimmer an einen Studenten.
(She is renting a room out to a student.)
Meine Eltern vermieten ihr Ferienhaus im Sommer.
(My parents rent out their holiday home in the summer.)
Das Gebäude wird von einer großen Immobilienfirma vermietet.
(The building is rented out by a large real estate company.)
Der Laden vermietet Werkzeuge und Gartengeräte.
(The shop rents out tools and garden equipment.)
Summary
In short, use mieten when you are the one paying to use something (like a tenant renting an apartment). Use vermieten when you are the one receiving payment for letting someone else use your property (like a landlord renting out an apartment). A helpful tip is that the prefix ver- often implies giving something away or a change, which can help you remember that vermieten is the action of the owner.