destat

English

Verb

destat (third-person singular simple present destats, present participle destatting, simple past and past participle destatted)

1. (rare, informal) To encourage or harass statutory tenants into leaving (a building) so that it can be rented under less favourable terms.
   • 1963, Blackwood's Magazine, volume 294, page 287:

     As the old tenants left, more tenants of the same kind were installed, until the whole house was free from statutory control — or 'destatted'.

   • 1964, Elspeth Huxley, Back Street New Worlds: A Look at Immigrants in Britain, page 51:

     Few but Mr. Ben Parkin, Member of Parliament for North Paddington, paid much attention to the "destatting" racket until Miss Keeler and her friends drew aside the curtain on so many facets of our national life.

Anagrams

• stated, tasted