Agricultural holdings and tenant farming guide

Pre-emptive right to buy

The pre-emptive right to buy legislation offers additional opportunities for tenant farmers who have secure 1991 Act tenancies to buy their agricultural holding if it becomes available on the ‘sale’ market.

Through the 2003 Act, tenant farmers have a pre-emptive right to buy their agricultural holding if their landlord decides to sell.  If you want to take this opportunity, you must first register that right through an application to Registers of Scotland’s Register of Community Interests in Land, who maintain a register of tenant farmers who have recorded their interest in buying the agricultural or farm land that they rent.

If you need help with the tenant farmers pre-emptive right to buy, please email: cajr@ros.gov.uk.

If a tenant farmer decides they no longer want to exercise this right, they must de-register and withdraw their application from Registers of Scotland. Read more: Register of community interests in land