Scottish right to buy for tenants has ‘frightened off’ landlords

George Dunn, chief executive of the group, which operates primarily in England and Wales, said the Scottish model should not be copied elsewhere in the UK.

The 2016 Land Reform Act in Scotland, which gave tenants the pre-emptive right to buy, has meant landlords approached by third parties about land sales have had to be careful not to enter into even informal discussions, as this could unintentionally trigger the right to buy.

Landlords innocently assuming they are selling an area outside the lease may also be challenged by a tenant under the new rules.

Mr Dunn said: “Agricultural tenancy and land law in Scotland is toxic at the moment, and the land law and land reforms, in my view, have not helped.