Life for Rent is the second album by Dido, released in 2003 (see 2003 in music). "White Flag" was the first track from the album to be played on the radio, and became a major worldwide hit. The video for "White Flag" featured Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel star David Boreanaz. The track "Stoned" was remixed and issued as an American club single at around the same time "White Flag" was climbing the pop and adult contemporary charts. "Stoned" became a club hit, though it failed to catch on with dance radio.
The third and fourth singles, "Life for Rent" and "Don't Leave Home", respectively, did not fare as well as "White Flag" in America.
Life for Rent was nominated for "Best British Album" at the 2004 BRIT Awards along with Daniel Bedingfield's Gotta Get Thru This, Blur's Think Tank and The Coral's Magic and Medicine, but they were all beaten by The Darkness's Permission to Land. "White Flag" was awarded the 2004 Ivor Novello Award in the category "International Hit of the Year".
Life for Rent spent ten weeks at the top of the UK albums chart. It remained in the chart for 52 weeks. The Life for Rent Tour was taken around the world in 2004.
In Australia the album debuted at number one on the ARIA albums chart, was one of the biggest selling albums of 2003 and went on to be certified six times platinum for sales of over 420,000. With this, Dido was able to match the huge success of her previous effort, No Angel.
According to media traffic, the album has sold about 8,630,000 copies worldwide. It has been certificated five times platinum in Europe and two times platinum in America.
It is the fastest selling album by a female artist and passed the five million mark worldwide. It sold one million in 50 days, on the way there it sold 102,500 on day one and 400,351 in the first week on its way to the record.
