Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
BERG LAURENCE MARTIN
  2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
RENT A CENTER INC DE [RCII]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
__X__ Director _____ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
9 W. 57TH STREET, 43RD FLOOR
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
01/03/2005
(Street)

NEW YORK, NY 10019
4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)
5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)
6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)
6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)
7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)
8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)
9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)
10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Director Stock Option (right to purchase) $ 26.54 01/03/2005   A   5,000   01/03/2005 01/03/2015 Common Stock 5,000 (1) 5,000 (2) D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
BERG LAURENCE MARTIN
9 W. 57TH STREET
43RD FLOOR
NEW YORK, NY 10019
  X      

Signatures

 /s/ Laurence M. Berg   01/05/2005
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) On January 3, 2005, the reporting person was granted 5,000 options to purchase the Company's common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "Common Stock"), on a one-for-one basis, pursuant to the Company's Long-Term Incentive Plan. The options expire 10 years from the date of grant and are immediately available for exercise.
(2) Represents the total number of options granted to the reporting person pursuant to this grant. The reporting person has an additional 67,500 options to purchase the Company's Common Stock (as adjusted to reflect a 5-for-2 stock split effected by the Company on August 29, 2003) pursuant to options previously granted to the reporting person on January 4, 1999, January 3, 2000, January 2, 2001, January 2, 2002, January 2, 2003, and January 2, 2004. All of these options are currently exercisable.
 
Remarks:
Mr. Berg is associated with Apollo Advisors IV, L.P. ("Advisors"), which is the general partner of Apollo Investment Fund
IV, L.P. ("AIF IV") and Apollo Overseas Parners IV, L.P. ("Overseas IV").  AIF IV and Overseas IV are the beneficial
owners of certain shares of common stock of the Company.  Mr. Berg disclaims beneficial ownership of all securities of the Company
that may be deemed beneficially owned by AIF IV, Overseas IV, Advisors, and Apollo Capital Management IV, Inc., (the general partner
of Advisors).  This report shall not be deemed an admission that Mr. Berg is the beneficial owner of, or has any pecuniary interest
in, such securities for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or for any other purpose.

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