landlord

American  

[land-lawrd] / ˈlændˌlɔrd /

noun

• landlords
  plural

1. a person or organization that owns and leases apartments to others.

2. a person who owns and leases land, buildings, etc.

3. a person who owns or runs an inn, lodging house, etc.

4. a landowner.

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landlord British  

/ ˈlændˌlɔːd /

noun

1. a man who owns and leases property

2. a man who owns or runs a lodging house, pub, etc

3. archaic the lord of an estate

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• landlordry
  noun
• landlordship
  noun
• landlordly
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• landlords
  plural

Etymology

Origin of landlord

before 1000; Middle English; Old English landhlāford. See land, lord

Explanation

If you lease an apartment, the person to whom you pay rent is your landlord. A landlord owns a house, building, or property and rents it out to other people. Many people have landlords they call when their drains are clogged and mail their rent checks to on the first of each month. Business owners often have landlords too, who own their retail or office spaces. Men and women can both be landlords, although you can also call a female landlord a landlady. The concept of a landlord goes back to feudalism — the lord part comes from "Lord of the Manor."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

landlord landlords

Thoughts on homeownership: “I sometimes forget that I am the landlord now,” Fojas said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026

She worked through college so she did not have student debt, and he worked while living with his parents, saving what he would otherwise be paying in rent to a landlord.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026

She was already getting ready to take her previous landlord to court.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

This means that the landlord does not charge each resident for their individual utility usage but sends them statements based on a formula applied to the building’s total usage.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

“The judge ordered the landlord to turn the water back on within forty-eight hours.”

From "Dragons in a Bag" by Zetta Elliott

When you ask, highlight any information that shows your value as a renter, such as a history of on-time rent payments, a good credit score or references from past landlords.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s new rent freeze will require landlords of rent-stabilized apartments to keep rents flat starting in October.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

And a lack of tenant protections combined with an influx of wealthier renters in job hubs allow landlords to keep charging high rates.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026

Bell, of DIY chain B&Q, says many landlords may be open to sensible improvements, particularly where something is being upgraded rather than fundamentally changed.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

“Our landlords refuse to maintain the properties, and the city won’t provide us with adequate services or utilities, yet we each are doing—and must do— what we can to improve and advance the community.”

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Related Words

• property owner
• proprietor