also: たなご
noun
Used especially in contrast to a landlord; often in legal or rental contexts.
大家と店子の間で契約を結んだ。
A contract was signed between the landlord and the tenant.
新しい店子が来月入居する予定だ。
A new tenant is scheduled to move in next month.
The word 店子 is composed of 店 (store/shop) and 子 (child/suffix for a person), originally referring to a person who rents a shop or room. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji combination has been used for centuries to denote a tenant.