diff --git a/src/main/java/wtf/beatrice/releasehive/resources/AuthResource.java b/src/main/java/wtf/beatrice/releasehive/resources/AuthResource.java
index 2c85e51..df16dbe 100644
--- a/src/main/java/wtf/beatrice/releasehive/resources/AuthResource.java
+++ b/src/main/java/wtf/beatrice/releasehive/resources/AuthResource.java
@@ -39,9 +39,8 @@ public class AuthResource {
     @PostMapping(
             value="/login",
             produces="application/json")
-    public ResponseEntity<LoginResponse> login(@RequestBody LoginUserDto userDto)
-    {
-        User authenticatedUser = accountService.login(userDto);
+    public ResponseEntity<LoginResponse> login(@RequestBody LoginUserDto userDto) throws BadRequestException {
+        User authenticatedUser = accountService.authenticate(userDto);
 
         String jwtToken = jwtService.generateToken(authenticatedUser);
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/wtf/beatrice/releasehive/services/AccountService.java b/src/main/java/wtf/beatrice/releasehive/services/AccountService.java
index 2a2b3aa..2663426 100644
--- a/src/main/java/wtf/beatrice/releasehive/services/AccountService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/wtf/beatrice/releasehive/services/AccountService.java
@@ -10,5 +10,5 @@ public interface AccountService
 
     User register(RegisterUserDto user) throws BadRequestException;
 
-    User login(LoginUserDto user);
+    User authenticate(LoginUserDto user) throws BadRequestException;
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/wtf/beatrice/releasehive/services/AccountServiceImpl.java b/src/main/java/wtf/beatrice/releasehive/services/AccountServiceImpl.java
index 4268e19..95a4633 100644
--- a/src/main/java/wtf/beatrice/releasehive/services/AccountServiceImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/wtf/beatrice/releasehive/services/AccountServiceImpl.java
@@ -71,15 +71,35 @@ public class AccountServiceImpl implements AccountService {
     }
 
     @Override
-    public User login(LoginUserDto user) {
+    public User authenticate(LoginUserDto userDto) throws BadRequestException {
+
+        if (userDto.getEmail() == null ||
+                userDto.getEmail().isEmpty() ||
+                userDto.getPassword() == null ||
+                userDto.getPassword().isEmpty()) {
+
+            throw new BadRequestException("Please provide a valid email and password");
+        }
+
+        if(!userDto.getEmail().matches(InternalConfiguration.EMAIL_REGEX_RCF)) {
+            throw new BadRequestException("Invalid email format");
+        }
+
+        if(!userDto.getPassword().matches(InternalConfiguration.PASSWORD_REGEX)) {
+            throw new BadRequestException("Invalid password format");
+        }
+
+        if (!userRepository.findByEmail(userDto.getEmail()).isPresent()) {
+            throw new BadRequestException("No account registered with this email");
+        }
+
         authenticationManager.authenticate(
                 new UsernamePasswordAuthenticationToken(
-                        user.getEmail(),
-                        user.getPassword()));
+                        userDto.getEmail(),
+                        userDto.getPassword()));
 
-        return userRepository.findByEmail(user.getEmail())
+        return userRepository.findByEmail(userDto.getEmail())
                 .orElseThrow();
     }
 
-
 }