diff --git a/app/services/bulk_upload/lettings/row_parser.rb b/app/services/bulk_upload/lettings/row_parser.rb
index 647c25660..0ef0ab385 100644
--- a/app/services/bulk_upload/lettings/row_parser.rb
+++ b/app/services/bulk_upload/lettings/row_parser.rb
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ private
   end
 
   def start_date
-    Date.parse("20#{field_98}-#{field_97}-#{field_96}")
+    Date.parse("20#{field_98.to_s.rjust(2, '0')}-#{field_97}-#{field_96}")
   rescue StandardError
     nil
   end
diff --git a/spec/services/bulk_upload/lettings/row_parser_spec.rb b/spec/services/bulk_upload/lettings/row_parser_spec.rb
index 2673a4cbd..f104afb85 100644
--- a/spec/services/bulk_upload/lettings/row_parser_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/bulk_upload/lettings/row_parser_spec.rb
@@ -774,4 +774,14 @@ RSpec.describe BulkUpload::Lettings::RowParser do
       end
     end
   end
+
+  describe "#start_date" do
+    context "when year of 9 is passed to represent 2009" do
+      let(:attributes) { { bulk_upload:, field_96: "1", field_97: "1", field_98: "9" } }
+
+      it "uses the year 2009" do
+        expect(parser.send(:start_date)).to eql(Date.new(2009, 1, 1))
+      end
+    end
+  end
 end