Can a non-ED visa holder in Thailand obtain a yellow tabien baan as a tenant?

Basically the only real benefit of the yellow book is, that you always have a "certificate of residence" on hand. This is necessary when you buy / sell a vehicle, apply for / extend your driving license, open a bank account and that's about it.

Getting it depends on the Amphur and mostly requires documents such as birth certificate (translated), passport (translated), 2 Thai witnesses and more...

you can indeed get one as a tenant BUT you're going to need documentation from your land lord for them to allow you to get the yellow book.

Go to your local town hall (Amphur) and get the hand out that lists the requirements.

Just so you know, that yellow book (and the pink i/d card for foreigners) is about as worthless as tits on a bull :O.