diff --git a/app/controllers/locations_controller.rb b/app/controllers/locations_controller.rb
index d01f5fb20..a37a0a7cd 100644
--- a/app/controllers/locations_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/locations_controller.rb
@@ -164,11 +164,10 @@ private
 
   def deactivation_date
     return if params[:location].blank?
-
-    return @location.errors.add(:deactivation_date_type, message: I18n.t("validations.location.deactivation_date.not_selected")) if params[:location][:deactivation_date].blank? && params[:location][:deactivation_date_type].blank?
     collection_start_date = FormHandler.instance.current_collection_start_date
+    return collection_start_date if params[:location][:deactivation_date_type] == "default"
 
-    return collection_start_date if params[:location][:deactivation_date_type].to_i == 1
+    return @location.errors.add(:deactivation_date_type, message: I18n.t("validations.location.deactivation_date.not_selected")) if params[:location][:deactivation_date].blank? && params[:location][:deactivation_date_type].blank?
     return params[:location][:deactivation_date] if params[:location][:deactivation_date_type].blank?
 
     day = params[:location]["deactivation_date(3i)"]
diff --git a/app/views/locations/toggle_active.html.erb b/app/views/locations/toggle_active.html.erb
index c1e5ce84e..fe5b665a5 100644
--- a/app/views/locations/toggle_active.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/locations/toggle_active.html.erb
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@
                                             hint: { text: I18n.t("hints.location.deactivation", date: collection_start_date.to_formatted_s(:govuk_date)) } do %>
             <%= govuk_warning_text text: I18n.t("warnings.location.deactivation.existing_logs") %>
             <%= f.govuk_radio_button :deactivation_date_type,
-                                        1,
+                                        "default",
                                         label: { text: "From the start of the current collection period (#{collection_start_date.to_formatted_s(:govuk_date)})" } %>
 
             <%= f.govuk_radio_button :deactivation_date_type,
-                                        2,
+                                        "other",
                                         label: { text: "For tenancies starting after a certain date" },
                                         **basic_conditional_html_attributes({ "deactivation_date" => %w[other] }, "location") do %>
                                           <%= f.govuk_date_field :deactivation_date,
diff --git a/spec/requests/locations_controller_spec.rb b/spec/requests/locations_controller_spec.rb
index 3cf0dd895..fc624cbd0 100644
--- a/spec/requests/locations_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/locations_controller_spec.rb
@@ -1249,7 +1249,7 @@ RSpec.describe LocationsController, type: :request do
       end
 
       context "with default date" do
-        let(:params) { { location: { deactivation_date_type: 1 } } }
+        let(:params) { { location: { deactivation_date_type: "default" } } }
 
         it "renders the confirmation page" do
           expect(response).to have_http_status(:ok)
@@ -1288,7 +1288,7 @@ RSpec.describe LocationsController, type: :request do
       end
 
       context "when invalid date is entered" do
-        let(:params) { { location: { deactivation_date_type: 2, "deactivation_date(3i)": "10", "deactivation_date(2i)": "44", "deactivation_date(1i)": "2022" } } }
+        let(:params) { { location: { deactivation_date_type: "other", "deactivation_date(3i)": "10", "deactivation_date(2i)": "44", "deactivation_date(1i)": "2022" } } }
         
         it "displays the new page with an error message" do
           expect(response).to have_http_status(:unprocessable_entity)
@@ -1297,7 +1297,7 @@ RSpec.describe LocationsController, type: :request do
       end
 
       context "when the date is entered is before the beginning of current collection window" do
-        let(:params) { { location: { deactivation_date_type: 2, "deactivation_date(3i)": "10", "deactivation_date(2i)": "4", "deactivation_date(1i)": "2020" } } }
+        let(:params) { { location: { deactivation_date_type: "other", "deactivation_date(3i)": "10", "deactivation_date(2i)": "4", "deactivation_date(1i)": "2020" } } }
         
         it "displays the new page with an error message" do
           expect(response).to have_http_status(:unprocessable_entity)
@@ -1306,7 +1306,7 @@ RSpec.describe LocationsController, type: :request do
       end
 
       context "when the day is not entered" do
-        let(:params) { { location: { deactivation_date_type: 2, "deactivation_date(3i)": "", "deactivation_date(2i)": "2", "deactivation_date(1i)": "2022" } } }
+        let(:params) { { location: { deactivation_date_type: "other", "deactivation_date(3i)": "", "deactivation_date(2i)": "2", "deactivation_date(1i)": "2022" } } }
         
         it "displays page with an error message" do
           expect(response).to have_http_status(:unprocessable_entity)
@@ -1315,7 +1315,7 @@ RSpec.describe LocationsController, type: :request do
       end
 
       context "when the month is not entered" do
-        let(:params) { { location: { deactivation_date_type: 2, "deactivation_date(3i)": "2", "deactivation_date(2i)": "", "deactivation_date(1i)": "2022" } } }
+        let(:params) { { location: { deactivation_date_type: "other", "deactivation_date(3i)": "2", "deactivation_date(2i)": "", "deactivation_date(1i)": "2022" } } }
         
         it "displays page with an error message" do
           expect(response).to have_http_status(:unprocessable_entity)
@@ -1324,7 +1324,7 @@ RSpec.describe LocationsController, type: :request do
       end
 
       context "when the year is not entered" do
-        let(:params) { { location: { deactivation_date_type: 2, "deactivation_date(3i)": "2", "deactivation_date(2i)": "2", "deactivation_date(1i)": "" } } }
+        let(:params) { { location: { deactivation_date_type: "other", "deactivation_date(3i)": "2", "deactivation_date(2i)": "2", "deactivation_date(1i)": "" } } }
         
         it "displays page with an error message" do
           expect(response).to have_http_status(:unprocessable_entity)