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

He’s conniving, manipulative and has somehow incredibly managed to survive flying on the seat of some very thin pants since his father sent him out to collect rent as a budding slumlord.

From Salon • Mar. 13, 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

Aside from the stereotypical slumlord, these owners have a vested interest in maintaining quality neighborhoods.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 3, 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