slumlord

American  

[sluhm-lawrd] / ˈslʌmˌlɔrd /

noun

1. a landlord who owns slum buildings, especially one who fails to maintain or improve the buildings and charges tenants exorbitant rents.

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slumlord British  

/ ˈslʌmˌlɔːd /

noun

1. informal an absentee landlord of slum property, esp one who profiteers

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Etymology

Origin of slumlord

First recorded in 1950–55; slum + lord

Example Sentences

Perhaps the Democratic leaders could file a complaint with the city about this slumlord.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026

His similarity to the film’s villain, Mr. Potter — a wealthy, nasty slumlord who names everything he takes control of after himself — was easier to point out than spots on a cheetah.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025

Whitney is the heiress to her parents’ slumlord fortune, a fact she pretends to distance herself from but can’t quite.

From New York Times • Jan. 4, 2024

“The church is not a slumlord; the system is set up for small landlords to be doomed to fail,” Hunter said.

From Washington Post • Apr. 14, 2023

An apartment complex owned by slumlord Abe Greenberg was one of the first structures to go up in flames.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson