Things Americans rented in the 1980s went far beyond apartments and cars. Buying certain technology, entertainment equipment, and household products could be expensive, while rapidly changing technology made ownership feel like an unnecessary commitment. Renting offered access without paying the full purchase price upfront.
Some rental habits from the decade are still familiar, but others have nearly disappeared. Streaming, cheaper electronics, online shopping, and changing consumer habits transformed how Americans get everything from movies to furniture. These 15 rentals offer a snapshot of everyday life before digital access changed the equation.
1. VHS Movies
Video rental stores became a defining part of 1980s entertainment as more households bought VCRs. Instead of paying relatively high prices to own individual movies, families could rent a VHS tape for a few dollars, watch it over the weekend, rewind it, and bring it back to the store.
2. VCRs
Before VCR ownership became widespread and affordable, the machine itself could be rented along with the movies. Video stores and electronics businesses offered weekend rentals that allowed families to experience home video without spending hundreds of dollars on a new machine.
3. Televisions
Rent-to-own stores offered televisions to households that didn’t want or couldn’t afford to pay the full purchase price upfront. Customers made regular payments for access to a newer set, although long-term rental agreements could ultimately cost substantially more than buying one outright.
4. Furniture
Living-room sets, dining tables, beds, and other furniture could be rented through companies serving people who needed temporary furnishings or preferred smaller recurring payments. Furniture rental was particularly practical for people relocating temporarily, students, and households without enough cash for a complete set.
5. Home Computers
Personal computers were still expensive investments during much of the 1980s, and some businesses offered computers for rent or lease. Renting gave households and small businesses access to rapidly developing technology without committing to equipment that could become outdated relatively quickly.
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6. Video Cameras
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Camcorders brought home movies into the video age, but early consumer models could be expensive. Camera and electronics stores rented video equipment for weddings, vacations, birthdays, graduations, and other occasions when buying an entire camera system for occasional use made little financial sense.
7. Answering Machines
Before voicemail became standard, an answering machine was a separate piece of equipment connected to the home telephone. Telephone companies and equipment providers offered various devices through rental or leasing arrangements, allowing customers to add new communication technology without purchasing it outright.
8. Telephones
For decades, many Americans didn’t actually own the telephone sitting in their homes. Customers commonly leased phones as part of telephone service, and although changes following the breakup of AT&T in the 1980s increasingly allowed consumers to purchase their own equipment, rented phones remained in many households during the transition.
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9. Formalwear
Tuxedo rental was already firmly established by the 1980s, especially for weddings, proms, and formal events. Spending a large amount on an outfit that might only be worn once made little sense for many people, making formalwear one of the rental habits from the decade that remains common today.
10. Video Games
As home gaming expanded, rental stores began offering cartridges alongside movies. Renting allowed players to try different games without paying full retail prices, and by the end of the decade, video game rentals were becoming an important part of the broader video-store business.
11. Cars for Long Road Trips
Rental cars weren’t limited to business travel and airports. Families could rent larger or newer vehicles for vacations and long road trips rather than putting hundreds or thousands of additional miles on the family car, particularly when their everyday vehicle wasn’t ideal for a long journey.
12. Party Equipment
Folding tables, chairs, dishes, glassware, tents, and other event supplies were commonly rented rather than purchased for a single celebration. Weddings, graduations, reunions, and large backyard parties created demand for equipment that households had little reason to store permanently.
13. Power Tools
Expensive tools needed for one home improvement project didn’t always justify a purchase. Hardware and equipment rental businesses gave homeowners temporary access to floor sanders, drills, saws, pressure equipment, and other specialized machinery that might otherwise sit unused for years.
14. Recreational Vehicles
An RV represented a major purchase even in the 1980s, particularly for families who only wanted one for an annual vacation. Renting a motorhome or camper provided the experience of a road trip without the purchase price, storage requirements, maintenance, and year-round ownership costs.
15. Appliances
Rent-to-own businesses made refrigerators, washers, dryers, microwaves, and other household appliances available through recurring payments. The model appealed to households that needed an appliance immediately but couldn’t afford the upfront purchase, although keeping an item through the full rental period could make it considerably more expensive.
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