Crossword Genius

Guest gutted about landlord with private place that's empty (5,4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

ghost town

'place that's empty' is the definition.
(town which has been abandoned)

'guest gutted about landlord with private' is the wordplay.
'gutted' says to hollow out the word (remove centre letters) (to gut something is to remove its insides).
'about' is an insertion indicator.
'landlord' becomes 'host' (host can mean a landlord).
'with' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'private' becomes 'own' (as in one's own or private belongings).
'guest' with its middle taken out is 'gt'.
'gt' placed around 'host' is 'ghostt'.
'ghostt'+'own'='GHOST TOWN'

(Other definitions for ghost town that I've seen before include "Old settlement, now deserted" , "deserted place" , "abandoned position" , "Deserted urban area" , "There's nobody in it" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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