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                                                                     EXHIBIT 5.1

                  [Winstead Sechrest & Minick P.C. Letterhead]



December 31, 2002


Rent-A-Center, Inc.
5700 Tennyson Parkway
Third Floor
Plano, Texas 75024

         Re:      Rent-A-Center, Inc. - Post Effective Amendment No. 1 to
                  Registration Statement on Form S-8

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         We have acted as counsel for Rent-A-Center, Inc., (formerly
Rent-A-Center Holdings, Inc.) a Delaware corporation (the "COMPANY"), in
connection with the Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement
on Form S-8 (Registration No. 333-62582) (the "REGISTRATION STATEMENT") filed by
the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "COMMISSION") under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "SECURITIES ACT"), with respect to
the Company's adoption, as the successor issuer to Rent-A-Center East, Inc.
(formerly, Rent-A-Center, Inc.), a Delaware corporation, of Registration
Statement No. 333-62582 pursuant to Rule 414 of the Securities Act. The
Registration Statement covers shares (the "SHARES") of the Company's common
stock, par value $0.01 per share ("COMMON STOCK"), which may be issued pursuant
to the Amended and Restated Rent-A-Center, Inc. Long-Term Incentive Plan (the
"PLAN").

         In that connection, we have examined originals, or copies certified or
otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such documents, corporate records
and other instruments as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for the
purposes of our opinion, including: (i) the Company's Certificate of
Incorporation, as amended, (ii) the Company's Amended and Restated Bylaws and
(iii) the applicable minutes of meetings or consents in lieu of meetings of the
Company's board of directors (the "BOARD") and stockholders.

         For the purposes of expressing the opinion hereinafter set forth, we
have assumed: (i) the genuineness of all signatures and documents; (ii) the
authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals; (iii) the conformity
to the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies; (iv) the
correctness and accuracy of all facts set forth in the documents referred to in
this Opinion Letter; (v) the due authorization, execution, and delivery of and
the validity and binding effect of all documents; and (vi) compliance both in
the past and in the future with the terms of the Plan by the Company and its
employees, officers, the Board and any committees appointed to administer the
Plan.


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         Based on the foregoing and subject to the qualifications set forth
herein, we are of the opinion that upon the issuance of Shares in accordance
with the terms and conditions of the Plan, including receipt prior to issuance
by the Company of the full consideration for the Shares (which consideration
shall be at least equal to the par value thereof), the Shares will be validly
issued, fully paid and nonassessable shares of Common Stock.

         Our opinions herein are limited in all respects to the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, which includes those statutory
provisions as well as all applicable provisions of the Delaware Constitution and
the reported judicial decisions interpreting such laws, and the federal laws of
the United States of America, and we do not express any opinion as to the
applicability of or the effect thereon of the laws of any other jurisdiction. We
express no opinion as to any matter other than as set forth herein, and no
opinion may be inferred or implied herefrom.

         This firm consents to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as
Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement.



                                        Very truly yours,

                                        /s/ Winstead Sechrest & Minick P.C.

                                        Winstead Sechrest & Minick P.C.



