key money
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noun
advance rent or security required of a new tenant and given in exchange for the key to the house or apartment.
an amount of money paid, often secretly, to a landlord, superintendent, or current tenant by a person desiring future tenancy.
Nearby words
key in, key largo, key light, key lime, key lime pie, key money, key plate, key punch, key ring, key scarf, key signature
Origin of key money
First recorded in 1895–1900
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for key money
This form of currency is developed from what is generally termed "key-money" or "knife-money."
British Dictionary definitions for key money
key money
noun
a fee payment required from a new tenant of a house or flat before he moves in
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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