rack-renter

A rack-renter demands an exorbitant fee for a small, run-down apartment.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who rents out property at an exorbitantly high price: "rack-renter" refers to a landlord or property owner who charges an excessive or unfair rent, typically exploiting the tenant's need for housing or land.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The notorious rack-renter demanded three times the market rate for the small apartment. (A landlord charging an unfairly high price.)
  • During the housing crisis, many tenants suffered under a rack-renter who refused to lower the rent. (An exploitative property owner.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be a rack-renter": to act as a landlord who imposes unreasonable rental costs.
  • The city council investigated the landlord for being a rack-renter after receiving multiple complaints. (The landlord was accused of charging excessive rent.)

Variants and Related Words

• Rack-rent (noun): an excessively high rent, often considered unfair or exploitative.

  • The tenants struggled to pay the rack-rent demanded by the landlord. (An unreasonably high rental fee.)

• Rack-renting (noun/verb): the practice of charging or paying an exorbitant rent.

  • Rack-renting became a serious issue in the growing city. (The practice of overcharging for property.)

Synonyms

• Exploitative landlord: a property owner who takes unfair advantage of tenants.
• Price gouger: someone who sets prices unreasonably high (often used for goods or services).

Related Idioms

• Rent racket: a dishonest or exploitative scheme involving rental fees.
  • The company was running a rent racket, forcing tenants into unfair contracts. (An illegal or unethical rental system.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Rent out at a rack: to lease property at an excessively high price.
  • They rented out the old house at a rack to desperate families. (They charged an unfairly high rent.)