I don't think that's what Adam Smith was getting at. He was saying that gathering food that grew freely shouldn't be taxed by people who put a fence round it and did nothing to make it grow.
Generally there's a building that's useful and the local government have designated that people are allowed to live there.
Unless you mean by landlords "people who own campsites" - that's probably the closest thing to what Adam Smith was describing. Although even they supply amenities.
Believe whatever you want to believe about Adam Smith but he definitely didn't like landlords.
‘The wood of the forest, the grass of the field, and all the natural fruits of the Earth, which when land was in common, cost the labourer only the trouble of gathering them, come, even to him, to have an additional price fixed upon them.’ Adam Smith
‘He must [nowadays] then pay for the licence to gather them; and must give up to the landlord a portion of what his labour either collects or produces. This portion, or, what comes to the same thing, the price of this portion, constitutes the rent of land.’ Adam Smith
‘Civil government as far as it is instituted for the protection of property is in reality instituted for the defence of the rich against the poor, or against those who have some property against those who have none’ Adam Smith
