Landlord deities (地主神) are a type of tutelary deity worshipped in the East Asian cultural sphere.[1]
They are low level deities that are considered below Sheshen and City Gods.
When people move into a new location they will ask the landlord deity for permission to move there.
Houtu is the overlord of all the Tudigongs ("Lord of Local Land"), Sheji ("the State"), Shan Shen ("God of Mountains"), City Gods ("God of Local City"), and landlord gods world wide.