key money

noun

A payment required by a landlord or agent before accessing rented property.

OriginGerman Schlüsselgeld →
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Meanings

nounkey money (uncountable)

alternative key-money

  1. uncountableA payment required by a landlord or agent before accessing rented property.

Origin

  1. GermanSchlüsselgeld
  2. Englishkey money

Calque of German Schlüsselgeld.

More words from German

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

key money. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/key%20money

MLA

“key money.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/key%20money. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “key money,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/key%20money.

Source: key money on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.