This is a substantially amended and updated version of an article published in Political Quarterly : 25 March 2017
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It traces the expansion of private landlordism via the mythical rise of Rupert Rigsby, from landlord of a few seedy bedsits — depicted in the television programme ‘Rising Damp’ — to a major rented property –owner. The article sets out the undesirable consequences of the growth in private landlordism and indicates how its expansion can be curtailed.