diff --git a/app/uk/gov/hmrc/ngrraldfrontend/controllers/InterimRentSetByTheCourtController.scala b/app/uk/gov/hmrc/ngrraldfrontend/controllers/InterimRentSetByTheCourtController.scala
index 00600d15..f5c20428 100644
--- a/app/uk/gov/hmrc/ngrraldfrontend/controllers/InterimRentSetByTheCourtController.scala
+++ b/app/uk/gov/hmrc/ngrraldfrontend/controllers/InterimRentSetByTheCourtController.scala
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ class InterimRentSetByTheCourtController @Inject()(interimRentSetByTheCourtView:
               case (key, messages) if messages.contains("interimRentSetByTheCourt.startDate.before.1900.error") ||
                 messages.contains("interimRentSetByTheCourt.year.required.error") =>
                 formError.copy(key = "date.year")
+              case ("date", messages) if messages.contains("interimRentSetByTheCourt.year.format.error") =>
+                formError.copy(key = "date.year")
               case ("date", messages) =>
                 formError.copy(key = "date.month")
               case _ =>
diff --git a/app/uk/gov/hmrc/ngrraldfrontend/models/forms/CommonFormValidators.scala b/app/uk/gov/hmrc/ngrraldfrontend/models/forms/CommonFormValidators.scala
index b8ddcff4..2c7f595e 100644
--- a/app/uk/gov/hmrc/ngrraldfrontend/models/forms/CommonFormValidators.scala
+++ b/app/uk/gov/hmrc/ngrraldfrontend/models/forms/CommonFormValidators.scala
@@ -75,10 +75,10 @@ trait CommonFormValidators {
       monthYearEmptyValidation(input.asInstanceOf[NGRMonthYear], errorKeys)
     )
 
-  protected def isMonthYearValid[A](errorKey: String): Constraint[A] =
+  protected def isMonthYearValid[A](monthError: String, yearError: String) : Constraint[A] =
     Constraint((input: A) =>
       val date = input.asInstanceOf[NGRMonthYear]
-      monthYearValidation(date, errorKey)
+      monthYearValidation(date, monthError, yearError)
     )
 
   protected def isMonthYearAfter1900[A](errorKey: String): Constraint[A] =
@@ -146,14 +146,16 @@ trait CommonFormValidators {
     else
       Valid
 
-  protected def monthYearValidation(date: NGRMonthYear, errorKey: String) = {
+  protected def monthYearValidation(date: NGRMonthYear, monthError: String, yearError:String) = {
     val maybeMonth = date.month.toIntOption
     val maybeYear = date.year.toIntOption
     (maybeMonth, maybeYear) match {
-      case (Some(month), Some(year)) if month > 0 && month <= 12 && (month + year != 0) =>
+      case (Some(month), Some(year)) if month > 0 && month <= 12 =>
         Valid
-      case _ =>
-        Invalid(errorKey)
+      case (_, None) =>  
+        Invalid(yearError)
+      case (_, _) => 
+        Invalid(monthError)
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/app/uk/gov/hmrc/ngrraldfrontend/models/forms/InterimRentSetByTheCourtForm.scala b/app/uk/gov/hmrc/ngrraldfrontend/models/forms/InterimRentSetByTheCourtForm.scala
index 5daa5d7e..dea9f3ec 100644
--- a/app/uk/gov/hmrc/ngrraldfrontend/models/forms/InterimRentSetByTheCourtForm.scala
+++ b/app/uk/gov/hmrc/ngrraldfrontend/models/forms/InterimRentSetByTheCourtForm.scala
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ object InterimRentSetByTheCourtForm extends CommonFormValidators with MonthYearM
         .verifying(
           firstError(
             isMonthYearEmpty(errorKeys("interimRentSetByTheCourt")),
-            isMonthYearValid("interimRentSetByTheCourt.monthYear.format.error"),
+            isMonthYearValid(monthError = "interimRentSetByTheCourt.month.format.error", yearError = "interimRentSetByTheCourt.year.format.error"),
             isMonthYearAfter1900("interimRentSetByTheCourt.startDate.before.1900.error")
           )
         ),
diff --git a/conf/messages b/conf/messages
index bdc13cf4..3b8dae08 100644
--- a/conf/messages
+++ b/conf/messages
@@ -363,8 +363,9 @@ date.year = Year
 interimRentSetByTheCourt.interimAmount.required.error = Enter how much the interim rent was, in pounds
 interimRentSetByTheCourt.interimAmount.tooLarge.error = Interim rent must be £9,999,999.99 or less
 interimRentSetByTheCourt.interimAmount.format.error = Interim rent must be a number, like 50,000
-interimRentSetByTheCourt.monthYear.format.error = Date your interim rent started must be a real date
-interimRentSetByTheCourt.required.error = Enter the date you started paying interim rent
+interimRentSetByTheCourt.month.format.error = Date your interim rent started must be a real date
+interimRentSetByTheCourt.year.format.error = Date your interim rent started must be a real date
+interimRentSetByTheCourt.required.error = Date you started paying the interim rent must include a month and year
 interimRentSetByTheCourt.month.required.error = Date you started paying the interim rent must include a month
 interimRentSetByTheCourt.year.required.error = Date you started paying the interim rent must include a year
 interimRentSetByTheCourt.startDate.before.1900.error = The date you started paying interim rent must be 1900 or after
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/uk/gov/hmrc/ngrraldfrontend/models/forms/InterimRentSetByTheCourtFormSpec.scala b/test/uk/gov/hmrc/ngrraldfrontend/models/forms/InterimRentSetByTheCourtFormSpec.scala
index b499801b..2a6cef4f 100644
--- a/test/uk/gov/hmrc/ngrraldfrontend/models/forms/InterimRentSetByTheCourtFormSpec.scala
+++ b/test/uk/gov/hmrc/ngrraldfrontend/models/forms/InterimRentSetByTheCourtFormSpec.scala
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ class InterimRentSetByTheCourtFormSpec extends AnyWordSpec with Matchers {
       )
       val boundForm = InterimRentSetByTheCourtForm.form.bind(data)
 
-      boundForm.errors should contain(FormError("date", "interimRentSetByTheCourt.monthYear.format.error"))
+      boundForm.errors should contain(FormError("date", "interimRentSetByTheCourt.month.format.error"))
     }
     "fail to bind year before 1900 for year input field" in {
       val data = Map(
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ class InterimRentSetByTheCourtFormSpec extends AnyWordSpec with Matchers {
       )
       val boundForm = InterimRentSetByTheCourtForm.form.bind(data)
 
-      boundForm.errors should contain(FormError("date", "interimRentSetByTheCourt.monthYear.format.error"))
+      boundForm.errors should contain(FormError("date", "interimRentSetByTheCourt.month.format.error"))
     }
 
     "fail to bind non numeric format for year input" in {
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ class InterimRentSetByTheCourtFormSpec extends AnyWordSpec with Matchers {
       )
       val boundForm = InterimRentSetByTheCourtForm.form.bind(data)
 
-      boundForm.errors should contain(FormError("date", "interimRentSetByTheCourt.monthYear.format.error"))
+      boundForm.errors should contain(FormError("date", "interimRentSetByTheCourt.year.format.error"))
     }
 
   }