“You wanna put a taxonomy land?!” – Landlord

I’ve seen in the wild economy, during my safaris into the concrete jungles of American cities, various species of rent-seekers thrive, each extracting wealth from real estate without contributing to real productivity. I have decided to set out to write a taxonomy because of my interest in both taxes and the economy.

Below is a classification of these economic predators and scavengers.

Species: Domini terrae (The Landlords)

These creatures claim ownership over land and housing, charging rent for access to a basic human need. Some are relatively harmless, while others engage in more extractive behaviors.

• Small-Scale “Mom-and-Pop” Landlords – Own a few rental properties and may provide decent management, though they still extract unearned income from exclusive ownership of locations. If most of their income is from providing building management services, rather than just charging location rent, they would benefit from Land Value Tax shifts.
• Institutional Landlords – Corporate entities, hedge funds, and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) that gobble up vast amounts of housing/land stock and maximize rent extraction.
• Absentee Landlords – This class owns property but neither live in nor maintain it, relying on property managers or neglecting tenants altogether.

Species: Urbanus parasitus (The Non-Residential Rent-Seekers)

These rent-seekers use land for purposes other than housing but still extract unearned income from its value.

• Billboard & Advertising Landlords – Own land solely to lease for ad revenue without contributing to urban development.
• Parking Lot and Junkyard Owners – Hold prime urban land as surface parking instead of developing it for housing or commerce.
• Land Lease Speculators – Lease land indefinitely instead of allowing ownership, keeping tenant businesses in permanent dependency.

Species: Speculatores (The Speculators)

These opportunistic rent-seekers manipulate land and housing markets for profit without producing anything of value.

• Land Bankers – Sit on undeveloped land, waiting for values to rise instead of putting it to productive use.
• Short-Term Rental Investors – Convert long-term housing into Airbnbs, reducing the housing supply for locals.
• Zoning Manipulators – Lobby to change land use laws for personal gain, rather than for public benefit.

Species: Predatores domus (The Predatory Landlords)

The most aggressive and exploitative of the rent-seekers, these landlords extract wealth while providing the bare minimum, or worse.

• Slumlords – Neglect repairs and maintenance while extracting high rents from vulnerable tenants.
• Eviction Profiteers – Cycle tenants in and out to collect new security deposits and fees.
• Contract Manipulators – Use legal tricks to trap tenants in unfair leases with hidden fees.
• Gentrifiers – Buy property in working-class areas, displacing long-time residents as property values and rents skyrocket.

Species: Financierus extractus (The Financial Rent-Seekers)

These animals use financial leverage to extract wealth from land and housing markets without directly owning property.

• Private Equity Firms – Acquire massive amounts of housing, prioritizing shareholder returns over livability.
• Mortgage Lenders & Banks – Profit from inflating property values through easy credit, creating speculative bubbles.
• Title & Escrow Companies – Extract fees in real estate transactions without adding real economic value.
• Rent-Seeking Developers – Push for tax breaks and subsidies while failing to build sufficient affordable housing.

Species: Publicus extractor (The Public Rent-Seekers)

Even public institutions can engage in rent-seeking behavior, leveraging land and housing for revenue rather than the public good.

• Government Landlords – Hold public land for speculative gain rather than using it for housing or community development.
• HOAs & Condo Associations – Extract fees, fines, and bureaucratic control over homeowners.
• University Housing – Charge high rents while avoiding market competition, often forcing students into debt.

Land and housing rent-seekers drive up costs, reduce affordability, and concentrate wealth in fewer hands. Understanding these categories makes it easier to push for policies, like land value taxation, community land trusts, and tenant rights, that can curb their influence and return land to productive use for the many, not the few.