In mainland China, before the communist revolution landlords used to be called "dizhu" (literally "land lord"). The name took on bad connotations (the communist revolutionaries didn't take kindly to landlords), and nowadays they're called "fangdong" instead. Apart from the fact that the land is technically on a 99 year lease from the government not owned, a "fangdong" is still pretty much the same as a landlord anywhere else.