“How many ants are needed to fill an apartment?”/“Tenants.”

“Tenants” is a word that sets up the obvious joke:
 
Q: How many ants are needed to fill an apartment?
A: Ten ants (tenants).
 
“How many ants make a landlord? 10 ants (tenants)” was cited in print in 1860.
 
     
Google Books
Wit and Wisdom:
Jokes, Conundrums, Sentiments, and Aphorisms
By Wit
London: Ward and Lock
1860
Pg. 31:
How many ants make a landlord? 10 ants (tenants).
 
29 September 1923, Chicago (IL) Defender, “Humor,” pg. 14, col. 4:
How many ants make a landlord?
Ans.: Ten-ants.
 
24 July 1972, Springfield (MA) Union, “Fun Time—The Riddle Box,” pg. 27, col. 1:
How many ants will make a landlord happy?
Tenants.
   
19 June 1981, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA), magazine, pg. 18, col. 3:
Q. How many ants will make a landlord happy?
A. Ten-ants.
Becky Cravens
Louisville, Kentucky
 
Google Groups: aus.tv
The Scrambled Eggs Report
BearCave
7/5/05
(...)
How many ants are needed to fill an apartment? Tenants
     
Google Groups: BRITESTAR’S LET’S LAUGH
ICE CREAM SODA DAY
BriteStar
6/20/06
(...)
How many ants are needed to fill an apartment? TENANTS
 
Google Groups: Palace of Adult Humor
ant jokes
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
11/7/06
(...)
How many ants are needed to fill an apartment ?
Ten ants !
 
Twitter
d.arren
‏@dearsammm
欠鞭冷笑话 [A is for Ants]: Q - How many ants does it take to fill a house?  A -Ten-ants!
9:35 AM - 9 Jun 2009
 
Twitter
Chris Knight
‏@WestonGreenMan
How many ants do you need to rent an apartment? Tenants…...
4:55 PM - 28 Aug 2009
 
Twitter
Pearl ‘Penny’ Lane
‏@PearlLaneSoliz
[Joke Time] How many ants are needed to fill an apartment? ... Ten ants. (tenants) #jokes #funny
3:35 PM - 6 Apr 2010
 
Google Books
The Mammoth Book of Really Silly Jokes
By Geoff Tibballs
London: Constable & Robinson Ltd
2011
Pg. 12:
How many ants are needed to fill an apartment?
Ten ants.
 
Facebook
Jim Chapman
May 31, 2014 ·
How many ants does it take to fill a flat?
TENANTS!
 
reddit
How many ants does it take to rent a house?
submitted November 10, 2015 by emusw
Ten ants