Cryptic crossword clue
Down-at-heel illegal tenants 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word SQUATTERS

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
S
Q
U
A
T
T
E
R
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Down-at-heel/illegal tenants" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case down-at-heel/illegal tenants = squatters.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does SQUATTERS mean?

SQUATTERS noun
  1. One who squats, sits down idly.
  2. One who occupies a building or land without title or permission.
  3. A large-scale grazier and landowner.
  4. A squat toilet.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations