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Flatmate vs Tenant - What's the difference?

flatmate | tenant |

As nouns the difference between flatmate and tenant

is that flatmate is a person with whom one shares a flat while tenant is one who pays a fee (rent) in return for the use of land, buildings, or other property owned by others.

As a verb tenant is

to hold as, or be, a tenant.

flatmate

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A person with whom one shares a flat.
  • * 2002 , Elaine Lally, At Home with Computers , page 149,
    • Yet when both Regine and her flatmate' are at home they tend to spend their time in their rooms, although Regine (and probably the ' flatmate too) tends to spend more time in the communal areas of the flat when the other is not at home.
  • * 2007 , C. N. Barton, The Cambridge Diaries: A Tale of Friendship, Love and Economics , page 121,
    • “So, it would probably [be] best if we could find another flatmate and go for a flat of five, and if old Chip does pull out, at least we can then drop down to a flat of four. What do you reckon?”
  • * 2011 , Ghada Osman, A Journey in Islamic Thought: The Life of Fathi Osman , page 63,
    • Kamal moved Fathi?s things into his own room, and the two became flatmates .
    The apartment in which Kamal lived was spacious, with several large rooms and various flatmates .
  • (UK, NZ) A person with whom one shares a rental property, not necessarily a flat.
  • * 1993 , Beryl Fletcher, The Iron Mouth , page 190,
    • It had been weeks since all the flatmates had sat down together for a meal. Communication was breaking down. Written notes had begun to appear all over the house; please don?t touch this food, I bought it especially for Hermione .
  • * 2003 , Jen Birch, Congratulations! It?s Asperger Syndrome , page 51,
    • One night, one of the flatmates (the one who owned the house) was ranting and raving all night about her girlfriend.
  • * 2007 , CCH New Zealand, Top 100 Questions and Answers on Taxing Land Transactions , page 97,
    • The position may have been different when your client was living in the house with the flatmates .

    See also

    * housemate * roommate

    tenant

    English

    Alternative forms

    * tenaunt (obsolete) * tennant (obsolete) * tennaunt (obsolete)

    Noun

    (Leasehold estate) (en noun)
  • One who pays a fee (rent) in return for the use of land, buildings, or other property owned by others.
  • *
  • One who has possession of any place; a dweller; an occupant.
  • * Cowper
    • sweet tenants of this grove
  • * Cowley
    • the happy tenant of your shade
  • * Byron
    • the sister tenants of the middle deep
  • (legal) One who holds a property by any kind of right, including ownership.

    • Synonyms

    * lessee * renter * rentee

    Derived terms

    * tenancy * tenantless * tenantry

    Related terms

    * * tenement

    See also

    * tenet

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To hold as, or be, a tenant.