Tenancy can be unintrusive (where the tenant provides home, transportation, tools, seed, etc.)
The term "rural tenancy" usually describes the situation of previously enslaved people that were now tenants on the landowner's property.
The landowner would extend the farmer shelter, food, and necessary items on credit to be repaid out of the tenant's share of the crop.
This could ultimately result in the tenant owing the landlord more money than his share of the crop at harvest and forcing the farmer to be further indentured to the landowner.
Modern day tenancy is much more highly regulated and these practices are less common.