diff --git a/app/helpers/collection_time_helper.rb b/app/helpers/collection_time_helper.rb
index ad7dac6a9..1e8c0eef4 100644
--- a/app/helpers/collection_time_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/collection_time_helper.rb
@@ -16,10 +16,13 @@ module CollectionTimeHelper
     Time.zone.local(collection_start_year_for_date(date), 4, 1)
   end
 
-  def date_mid_collection_year_formatted(date)
+  def date_mid_collection_year(date)
     relevant_year = date.nil? ? current_collection_start_year : collection_start_year_for_date(date)
-    example_date = Date.new(relevant_year, 9, 13)
-    example_date.to_formatted_s(:govuk_date_number_month)
+    Date.new(relevant_year, 9, 13)
+  end
+
+  def date_mid_collection_year_formatted(date)
+    date_mid_collection_year(date).to_formatted_s(:govuk_date_number_month)
   end
 
   def current_collection_start_date
diff --git a/app/helpers/form_page_helper.rb b/app/helpers/form_page_helper.rb
index 74e75e572..98b9bb8d5 100644
--- a/app/helpers/form_page_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/form_page_helper.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 module FormPageHelper
+  include CollectionTimeHelper
+
   def action_href(log, page_id, referrer = "check_answers")
     send("#{log.log_type}_#{page_id}_path", log, referrer:)
   end
@@ -46,4 +48,11 @@ module FormPageHelper
       page.skip_href(log) || send(log.form.next_page_redirect_path(page, log, current_user, ignore_answered: true), log)
     end
   end
+
+  def date_hint(question, log)
+    [
+      question.hint_text.presence,
+      question.date_example_override(log) || "For example, #{date_mid_collection_year_formatted(log.startdate).tr(' ', '/')}",
+    ].compact.join("<br><br>").html_safe
+  end
 end
diff --git a/app/models/form/lettings/questions/tenancy_start_date.rb b/app/models/form/lettings/questions/tenancy_start_date.rb
index cf1b556e7..b7d82b399 100644
--- a/app/models/form/lettings/questions/tenancy_start_date.rb
+++ b/app/models/form/lettings/questions/tenancy_start_date.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 class Form::Lettings::Questions::TenancyStartDate < ::Form::Question
+  include CollectionTimeHelper
+
   def initialize(id, hsh, page)
     super
     @id = "startdate"
@@ -7,5 +9,16 @@ class Form::Lettings::Questions::TenancyStartDate < ::Form::Question
     @question_number = QUESTION_NUMBER_FROM_YEAR[form.start_date.year] || QUESTION_NUMBER_FROM_YEAR[QUESTION_NUMBER_FROM_YEAR.keys.max] if form.start_date.present?
   end
 
+  def date_example_override(log)
+    return unless form.start_year_2026_or_later?
+
+    example_date =
+      [date_mid_collection_year(log.startdate), Time.zone.today + 7]
+        .min
+        .to_formatted_s(:govuk_date_number_month)
+        .tr(" ", "/")
+    I18n.t("forms.#{form.start_date.year}.#{copy_key}.example", default: "", example_date:)
+  end
+
   QUESTION_NUMBER_FROM_YEAR = { 2023 => 5, 2024 => 7 }.freeze
 end
diff --git a/app/models/form/question.rb b/app/models/form/question.rb
index b6f3b8b2f..59d974f65 100644
--- a/app/models/form/question.rb
+++ b/app/models/form/question.rb
@@ -299,6 +299,11 @@ class Form::Question
     answer_options.keys.reject { |x| x.match(/divider/) }
   end
 
+  # used by date questions that need bespoke formatting for the example date
+  def date_example_override(_log)
+    nil
+  end
+
 private
 
   def selected_answer_option_is_derived?(log)
diff --git a/app/views/form/_date_question.html.erb b/app/views/form/_date_question.html.erb
index a1df5f4d5..28437f3b9 100644
--- a/app/views/form/_date_question.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/form/_date_question.html.erb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
           question_id: question.id,
           legend: { text: legend[:text], size: legend[:size], caption: caption(caption_text, page_header, conditional) },
           resource_type: @log.log_type,
-          hint: (question.hint_text.blank? ? "" : (question.hint_text.html_safe + "</br></br>".html_safe)) + "For example, #{date_mid_collection_year_formatted(@log.startdate).tr(' ', '/')}",
+          hint: date_hint(question, @log),
           f:,
         } %>
 
diff --git a/config/locales/forms/2026/lettings/setup.en.yml b/config/locales/forms/2026/lettings/setup.en.yml
index a68a489d2..830840998 100644
--- a/config/locales/forms/2026/lettings/setup.en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/forms/2026/lettings/setup.en.yml
@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ en:
             page_header: ""
             check_answer_label: "Tenancy start date"
             check_answer_prompt: ""
-            hint_text: ""
+            hint_text: "The tenancy start date can be up to 14 days from today. If your tenancy starts more than 14 days into the future, please wait until you are within 14 days of the start date before submitting your log. <br><br>If you’re answering this question on 1 April, you can enter a tenancy start date up to and including 15 April."
+            example: "Enter the date in the format DD/MM/YYYY, for example %{example_date}."
             question_text: "What is the tenancy start date?"
 
           rent_type: