diff --git a/app/models/validations/date_validations.rb b/app/models/validations/date_validations.rb
index ac22e8cc4..8f8d87220 100644
--- a/app/models/validations/date_validations.rb
+++ b/app/models/validations/date_validations.rb
@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@ module Validations::DateValidations
   def validate_startdate(record)
     return unless record.startdate && date_valid?("startdate", record)
 
-    if record.created_at > first_collection_end_date && record.startdate < second_collection_start_date
+    created_at = record.created_at || Time.zone.now
+
+    if created_at > first_collection_end_date && record.startdate < second_collection_start_date
       record.errors.add :startdate, I18n.t("validations.date.outside_collection_window")
     end
 
diff --git a/spec/requests/lettings_logs_controller_spec.rb b/spec/requests/lettings_logs_controller_spec.rb
index 3063b3fb3..ca46e0e13 100644
--- a/spec/requests/lettings_logs_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/lettings_logs_controller_spec.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 require "rails_helper"
 
 RSpec.describe LettingsLogsController, type: :request do
+  include ActiveSupport::Testing::TimeHelpers
+
   let(:user) { FactoryBot.create(:user) }
   let(:owning_organisation) { user.organisation }
   let(:managing_organisation) { owning_organisation }
@@ -49,6 +51,7 @@ RSpec.describe LettingsLogsController, type: :request do
       end
 
       before do
+        travel_to Time.utc(2022, 2, 8, 16, 52, 15)
         post "/logs", headers:, params: params.to_json
       end