Section 24 — Assured agricultural occupancies.

(1) A tenancy or licence of a dwelling-house is for the purposes of this Part of this Act an “assured agricultural occupancy” if—

(a) it is of a description specified in subsection (2) below; and

(b) by virtue of any provision of Schedule 3 to this Act the agricultural worker condition is for the time being fulfilled with respect to the dwelling-house subject to the tenancy or licence.

(1A) [F1 Subsection (1) has effect subject to section 24A(1) (opting out).]

(2) The following are the tenancies and licences referred to in subsection (1)(a) above—

(a) an assured tenancy which is not an assured shorthold tenancy;

(b) a tenancy which does not fall within paragraph (a) above by reason only of paragraph 3 [F2 , 3A, 3B] or paragraph 7 of Schedule 1 to this Act ([F3 or more than one of those paragraphs]) [F4 and is not an excepted tenancy]; and

(c) a licence under which a person has the exclusive occupation of a dwelling-house as a separate dwelling and which, if it conferred a sufficient interest in land to be a tenancy, would be a tenancy falling within paragraph (a) or paragraph (b) above.

(2A) [F5 For the purposes of subsection (2)(b) above, a tenancy is an excepted tenancy if it is—]

(a) [F5 a tenancy of an agricultural holding within the meaning of the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 in relation to which that Act applies, or]

(b) [F5 a farm business tenancy within the meaning of the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995]

(3) For the purposes of Chapter I above and the following provisions of this Chapter, every assured agricultural occupancy which is not an assured tenancy shall be treated as if it were such a tenancy [F6 , and every opted-out tenancy, is to be treated as if it were an assured tenancy] and any reference to a tenant, a landlord or any other expression appropriate to a tenancy shall be construed accordingly; but the provisions of Chapter I above shall have effect in relation to every assured agricultural occupancy subject to the provisions of this Chapter.

(4) Section 14 above shall apply in relation to an assured agricultural occupancy as if in subsection (1) of that section the reference to an assured tenancy were a reference to an assured agricultural occupancy.

Amendment notes

1. F1 S. 24(1A) inserted (1.5.2026 for specified purposes) by Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (c. 26), ss. 24(2), 145(1)(8) (with ss. 138, 146(1), 147(1)(2), Sch. 6 paras. 1, 3, 4, 10, 16, 17); S.I. 2026/421, reg. 2(a)
2. F2 Words inserted by S.I. 1990/434, reg. 2, Sch. para. 28
3. F3 Words substituted by S.I. 1990/434, reg. 2, Sch. para. 28
4. F4 Words in s. 24(2)(b) inserted (28.2.1997) by 1996 c. 52, s. 103(2); S.I. 1997/225, art. 2 (with Sch.)
5. F5 S. 24(2A) inserted (28.2.1997) by 1996 c. 52, s. 103(3); S.I. 1997/225, art. 2 (with Sch.)
6. F6 Words in s. 24(3) substituted (1.5.2026 for specified purposes) by Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (c. 26), ss. 24(4), 145(1)(8) (with ss. 138, 146(1), 147(1)(2), Sch. 6 paras. 1, 3, 4, 10, 16, 17); S.I. 2026/421, reg. 2(a)