UK Act of Parliament 2025 Scotland

Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025

An Act of the Scottish Parliament to make provision about the management and transfer of large holdings of land; to require the Scottish Ministers to make publicly available a model lease for environmental purposes; to modify the law on small landholdings and agricultural holdings; and for connected purposes.

Read the Act on legislation.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)
Status
In Force
Penalty ceiling
Regulated

Does it bind you?

Business-side roles with duties under this instrument.

Landlord6 Occupier2 Any Person1

Plus 4 duties on the regulator, Crown ministers and public bodies — folded into the section list below.

Other Acts binding the same actors

If a role above is yours, these are the other instruments that most often bind it.

Landlord — also bound by 224 other Acts
Housing Act 1985 55 duties
Housing Act 1996 30 duties
Occupier — also bound by 235 other Acts
Highways Act 1980 23 duties
Any Person — also bound by 2340 other Acts

What it requires

Sections creating concrete business duties or carrying penalties, grouped as the instrument is structured. Titles link to the source text — blue means you’re leaving for legislation.gov.uk.

Part 1

Land reform

0 of 10 sections shown
10 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
s.001 Extension of automatic early release for certain short-term prisoners (opens in a new tab)
s.002 Extension of automatic early release for certain detained children (opens in a new tab)
s.003 Power to modify timing of automatic early release (opens in a new tab)
s.004 Persons transferred to Scotland from outwith the United Kingdom (opens in a new tab)
s.005 Consequential, transitional and transitory provision (opens in a new tab)
s.006 Report on operation of Act (opens in a new tab)
s.007 Ancillary provision (opens in a new tab)
s.008 Commencement (opens in a new tab)
s.009 Short title (opens in a new tab)
s.010 Review of Part 1 (opens in a new tab)
Part 2

Leasing land

0 of 33 sections shown
33 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
s.38 Section 38 (opens in a new tab)
s.39 Section 39 (opens in a new tab)
s.011 Duty to publish model lease for environmental purposes (opens in a new tab)
s.012 Duty to publish model lease for hutting (opens in a new tab)
s.013 Small landholdings (opens in a new tab)
s.014 Extension of Tenant Farming Commissioner’s functions (opens in a new tab)
s.015 Registration of interest and right to buy (opens in a new tab)
s.016 Assignation of tenancy (opens in a new tab)
s.017 Assignation of limited duration tenancy (opens in a new tab)
s.018 Assignation of modern limited duration tenancy (opens in a new tab)
s.019 Assignation of repairing tenancy (opens in a new tab)
s.020 Resumption in relation to 1991 Act tenancies (opens in a new tab)
s.021 Resumption in respect of limited duration tenancies and repairing tenancies (opens in a new tab)
s.022 Compensation for disturbance on resumption (opens in a new tab)
s.023 Power to make provision about compensation on termination (opens in a new tab)
s.024 Power to make provision about compensation on resumption (opens in a new tab)
s.025 Compensation for improvements (opens in a new tab)
s.026 Notice of and objection to diversification (opens in a new tab)
s.027 Tenant extension notice (opens in a new tab)
s.028 Determinations by Land Court (opens in a new tab)
s.029 Compensation arising as a result of diversification (opens in a new tab)
s.030 Resumption and termination of relevant tenancies and small landholdings (opens in a new tab)
s.031 Use of land for non-agricultural purposes (opens in a new tab)
s.032 Compensation for damage by game etc. (opens in a new tab)
s.033 Standard claim procedure (opens in a new tab)
s.034 Interest payable on compensation (opens in a new tab)
s.035 Rent review: 1991 Act tenancies (opens in a new tab)
s.036 Rent review: limited duration tenancies (opens in a new tab)
s.037 Rent review: repairing tenancies (opens in a new tab)
s.040 Notice requirements: lease of 1991 Act holding (opens in a new tab)
s.041 Landlord’s objection to legatee or acquirer on intestacy: near relatives and other persons (opens in a new tab)
s.042 Legatee or acquirer on intestacy: supplementary provision (opens in a new tab)
s.043 Succession to tenancy (opens in a new tab)
Part 3

Final provisions

0 of 5 sections shown
5 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional
s.044 Ancillary provision (opens in a new tab)
s.045 Regulation-making powers (opens in a new tab)
s.046 Further procedure for regulations under sections 23 and 24 (opens in a new tab)
s.047 Commencement (opens in a new tab)
s.048 Short title (opens in a new tab)
Schedules

Schedules

13 of 86 shown
s.sch002 Conditions of let Regulated
  • Comply with the conditions of your small landholding letOccupier
s.sch002 Dwelling-houses Regulated
  • Get landlord's written consent before erecting a dwelling-houseAny Person
s.sch002 Landlord’s right of access Regulated
  • Give notice and minimise damage when accessing small landholdingLandlord
s.sch002 Landlord’s right to use water rising on holding Regulated
  • Pay compensation to landholder for surface damage from using water on the holdingLandlord
s.sch002 Landlord’s agreement or objection to notice of diversification Regulated
  • Respond to small landholder's diversification notice within 60 daysLandlord
s.sch002 Withdrawal of objection Regulated
  • Withdraw an objection to a diversification proposalLandlord
s.sch002 Withdrawal or modification of conditions Regulated
  • Notify landholder of withdrawal or modification of diversification conditionsLandlord
s.sch002 Size of small landholding Regulated
  • Ensure your small landholding does not exceed 20 hectaresOccupier
s.sch002 Appointment of valuer by Tenant Farming Commissioner Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Tenant Farming Commissioner must appoint an independent valuer within 28 daysStatutory regulator
s.sch002 Assessment of compensation Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Valuer must assess compensation and may require information from landlord and small landholderTribunal / Court
s.sch002 Notice of assessment Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Valuer must give notice of compensation assessment within 8 weeksTribunal / Court
s.sch002 Duration of registration Regulated
  • Notify Keeper of tenancy termination or land reductionLandlord
s.sch002 Valuation etc.: further provision Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Appointed valuer must invite representations and issue a price notice within 6 weeksStatutory regulator
73 other schedules
s.sch002 Leases of small landholdings
s.sch002 Land Court’s powers in respect of rent arrears
s.sch002 Compensation for damage caused by game or game management
s.sch002 Diversification agreement
s.sch002 Notice of diversification
s.sch002 Request by landlord for information about proposed diversification
s.sch002 Persons who may be small landholders
s.sch002 Negotiation of diversification agreement
s.sch002 Determination of Land Court in relation to objection to diversification
s.sch002 Diversification agreement entered into during proceedings under paragraph 23
s.sch002 Application by landholder to Land Court to remove conditions
s.sch002 Use of land other than for cultivation
s.sch002 Interpretation of Part
s.sch002 Renunciation of tenancy by small landholder
s.sch002 Ability to assign
s.sch002 Land which may not be, or be part of, a small landholding
s.sch002 Landlord’s objection to assignation
s.sch002 Bequest of holding
s.sch002 Intestate succession to holding
s.sch002 Landlord’s objection to successor: near relatives
s.sch002 Landlord’s objection to successor: other persons
s.sch002 Landlord’s objection to successor: right to temporary occupation
s.sch002 Security of tenure
s.sch002 Removal for breach of conditions
s.sch002 Resumption by landlord
s.sch002 Small landholder’s right to compensation
s.sch002 Small landholder’s right to compensation: improvements
s.sch002 Small landholder’s right to compensation: increase in value due to diversification
s.sch002 Landlord’s right to compensation
s.sch002 Landlord’s right to compensation: deterioration etc. of holding.
s.sch002 Landlord’s right to compensation: decrease in value due to diversification
s.sch002 Recovery of compensation: further provision
s.sch002 Outstanding rent
s.sch002 Compensation to outgoing landholder by incoming landholder
s.sch002 Record of condition
s.sch002 Application to Tenant Farming Commissioner
s.sch002 Duration of lease of small landholding
s.sch002 Objection to valuer appointed by Tenant Farming Commissioner
s.sch002 Valuer’s expenses
s.sch002 Appeal against valuer’s assessment
s.sch002 Referral of certain matters by Lands Tribunal to Land Court
s.sch002 Register of Community Interests in Land: small landholders’ interests in buying land
s.sch002 Registration of small landholder’s interest in buying land
s.sch002 Owner’s challenge to registration
s.sch002 Rent
s.sch002 Notice of proposal to transfer land
s.sch002 Transfers not requiring notice
s.sch002 Right to buy
s.sch002 Exercise of right to buy
s.sch002 Effect of extinguishing right to buy
s.sch002 Procedure for buying
s.sch002 Appointment of valuer
s.sch002 Valuation of the land
s.sch002 Alteration of rent by agreement
s.sch002 Appeal to Lands Tribunal against valuation
s.sch002 Referral of certain matters by Lands Tribunal to Land Court
s.sch002 Registration of small landholder’s interest: power to modify provisions
s.sch002 Interpretation of Part
s.sch002 Agreement to resolve matters other than by application to Land Court
s.sch002 Arbitration: procedure etc.
s.sch002 Conduct of arbitrator and setting aside of arbitrator’s award
s.sch002 Repeal and disapplication of existing law
s.sch002 Crofters Holdings (Scotland) Act 1887
s.sch002 Small Landholders (Scotland) Act 1911
s.sch002 Application to Land Court to fix the rent
s.sch002 Small Landholders and Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 1931
s.sch002 Succession (Scotland) Act 1964
s.sch002 Crofters (Scotland) Act 1993
s.sch002 Scottish Land Court Act 1993
s.sch002 Restriction on contracting out of small landholders’ statutory rights
s.sch002 Restriction on contracting out of rights to apply to Land Court
s.sch002 Interpretation
s.sch002 Land Court’s power to fix the rent in connection with a ruling on diversification
1 other provision
s.consequential, transitional and transitory provisi Consequential, transitional and transitory provision

Help complying

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What regulations apply to my farm?

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Agricultural tenancy rights in Scotland

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