diff --git a/app/controllers/locations_controller.rb b/app/controllers/locations_controller.rb
index 1cef5dadb..0eaef3445 100644
--- a/app/controllers/locations_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/locations_controller.rb
@@ -121,22 +121,12 @@ class LocationsController < ApplicationController
     day = location_params["startdate(3i)"]
     month = location_params["startdate(2i)"]
     year = location_params["startdate(1i)"]
-    if [day, month, year].none?(&:blank?)
-      if Date.valid_date?(year.to_i, month.to_i, day.to_i)
-        @location.startdate = Time.zone.local(year.to_i, month.to_i, day.to_i)
-        if @location.save(context: :startdate)
-          redirect_to scheme_location_check_answers_path(@scheme, @location, route: params[:route])
-        else
-          render :availability, status: :unprocessable_entity
-        end
-      else
-        error_message = I18n.t("validations.location.startdate_invalid")
-        @location.errors.add :startdate, error_message
-        render :availability, status: :unprocessable_entity
-      end
+    if [day, month, year].none?(&:blank?) && Date.valid_date?(year.to_i, month.to_i, day.to_i)
+      @location.startdate = Time.zone.local(year.to_i, month.to_i, day.to_i)
+    end
+    if @location.save(context: :startdate)
+      redirect_to scheme_location_check_answers_path(@scheme, @location, route: params[:route])
     else
-      error_message = I18n.t("validations.location.startdate_blank")
-      @location.errors.add :startdate, error_message
       render :availability, status: :unprocessable_entity
     end
   end
diff --git a/app/models/location.rb b/app/models/location.rb
index f8fcbbfb6..d1e6c50d5 100644
--- a/app/models/location.rb
+++ b/app/models/location.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ class Location < ApplicationRecord
   validates :units, on: :units, presence: { message: I18n.t("validations.location.units") }
   validates :type_of_unit, on: :type_of_unit, presence: { message: I18n.t("validations.location.type_of_unit") }
   validates :mobility_type, on: :mobility_type, presence: { message: I18n.t("validations.location.mobility_standards") }
-  validate :validate_startdate, on: :startdate
+  validates :startdate, on: :startdate, presence: { message: I18n.t("validations.location.startdate_invalid") }
+  validate :validate_startdate, on: :startdate, if: proc { |model| model.startdate.presence }
   validate :validate_confirmed
   belongs_to :scheme
   has_many :lettings_logs, class_name: "LettingsLog"
@@ -421,8 +422,8 @@ class Location < ApplicationRecord
   end
 
   def validate_startdate
-    unless startdate.between?(Time.zone.local(1900, 1, 1), Time.zone.local(2200, 1, 1))
-      error_message = I18n.t("validations.location.startdate_out_of_range")
+    unless startdate.between?(scheme.available_from, Time.zone.local(2200, 1, 1))
+      error_message = I18n.t("validations.location.startdate_out_of_range", date: scheme.available_from.to_formatted_s(:govuk_date))
       errors.add :startdate, error_message
     end
   end
diff --git a/config/locales/en.yml b/config/locales/en.yml
index 9fac1b731..97cd7f899 100644
--- a/config/locales/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/en.yml
@@ -350,9 +350,8 @@ en:
       units: "The units at this location must be a number"
       type_of_unit: "Select the most common type of unit at this location"
       mobility_standards: "Select the mobility standard for the majority of the units at this location"
-      startdate_blank: "Enter the day, month and year when the first property became available at this location"
-      startdate_invalid: "Enter a valid day, month and year"
-      startdate_out_of_range: "Availability date must be between 1900 and 2200"
+      startdate_invalid: "Enter a valid day, month and year when the first property became available at this location"
+      startdate_out_of_range: "Availability date must be on or after the %{date}"
       toggle_date:
         not_selected: "Select one of the options"
         invalid: "Enter a valid day, month and year"