Resolving property and tenancy date errors

When you save a property or tenancy, Affinity checks that the recorded dates are in chronological order. Where Date into Housing Management is populated, the order is:

Acquisition Date → Date into Housing Management → Tenancy Start Date

Date into Housing Management is optional. If it is populated, it cannot be earlier than the Acquisition Date, and the Tenancy Start Date cannot be earlier than it. Dates can be the same. You do not need to populate this optional field solely to follow this guide.

Why am I seeing this when ending an older tenancy?

The date checks also apply when you update an existing tenancy, including when you enter an end date.

Older records may contain dates entered before these checks were introduced. Saving a change can identify an existing date inconsistency, even though you have not changed the start date. The age of the tenancy does not prevent the checks from applying.

How to resolve it

1. Check the tenancy’s recorded Start Date.
2. Check the property’s Acquisition Date and Date into Housing Management (optional).
3. Compare the recorded dates with your organisation’s records.
4. Correct any dates entered incorrectly, then save your tenancy change again.

For example, if a tenancy began in 2019 but the property’s Date into Housing Management is recorded as 2020, the dates will fail validation.

Only change a date to correct an inaccurate record. If all dates are accurate—for example, a tenancy was already in place when the property was acquired—contact Support for guidance.

Still need help?

Send Support the property reference, the exact error message and the recorded dates so we can investigate. Let us know if Date into Housing Management is blank.

Related guidance

• How do I end a tenancy?
• How do I edit the details of a tenancy?