SEC Form 4

FORM 4		UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940	OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Estimated average burden hours per response: 0.5
	Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* ARENDT STEVEN M (Last) (First) (Middle) 5700 TENNYSON PARKWAY FIRST FLOOR (Street) PLANO TX 75024 (City) (State) (Zip)	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) Director 10% Owner X Officer (give title below) Other (specify below) CEO of ColorTyme, Inc.
	3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 02/25/2004
	4. If Amendment, Date of 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

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
Common stock, par value $.01 per share	02/25/2004		M		3,000	A	$12.2	3,000	D
Common stock, par value $.01 per share	02/25/2004		S		1,000	D	$32.19	2,000	D
Common stock, par value $.01 per share	02/25/2004		S		2,000	D	$32.18	0	D

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 Securities Underlying Derivative Security (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: 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
Employee Stock Option (Right to Purchase)	$12.2	02/25/2004		M			3,000	(1)	(1)	Common Stock	3,000	(1)	8,000(2)	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. On January 4, 1999, the reporting person was granted 18,750 options to purchase Rent-A-Center, Inc.'s (the "Company") common stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Common Stock"), on a one-for-one basis, pursuant to the Company's Long-Term Incentive Plan (the "Plan"). The Plan provides for a vesting period of four years, vesting in the amounts of 4,687 on January 4, 2000; 4,688 on January 4, 2001; 4,687 on January 4, 2002; and 4,688 on January 4, 2003. The options expire 10 years from the date of the grant. As of the date of this report, the reporting person has exercised 17,000 options to purchase the Company's Common Stock pursuant to this grant.

2. Includes (a) 1,750 options to purchase the Company's Common Stock pursuant to the reporting person's January 4, 1999 grant, all of which are currently exercisable, and (b) 6,250 options to purchase the Company's Common Stock pursuant to the reporting person's July 1, 2002 grant, 1,562 of which are currently exercisable.

Remarks:

All information contained herein reflects a 5-for-2 split of the Company's Common Stock effected in August 2003.

	Steven M. Arendt	02/27/2004
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
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