tenement
slum building / rental property / dwelling / land holding
Noun
pl: tenements
In modern urban contexts, this term carries a strong negative connotation of poverty, neglect, and systemic overcrowding. It evokes images of industrial-era slums where living conditions were substandard and densely packed, distinguishing it from a standard apartment building. In legal or historical contexts, the word refers to the act of holding land under a specific tenure. This usage is technical and formal, focusing on the relationship between a tenant and a landlord or lord rather than the physical structure of a building.
Meanings
Noun
A large building divided into separate apartments, typically low-cost and overcrowded, often found in urban areas.
"The family lived in a cramped tenement in the Lower East Side of New York."