Which contracts do I need to cancel when I move?

Basic rule: a move is not automatic grounds for cancellation

Many people assume that contracts sort themselves out once you move. The opposite is true: a contract generally continues, no matter where you live. A special right of termination only arises if the service can no longer be provided at the new address, or if the law explicitly grants one. And these rights are only valid for a limited time – wait too long and you lose them.

Contracts with a special termination right

• Internet, landline, cable: if the provider can't supply service at your new address, § 60 of the German Telecommunications Act (Telekommunikationsgesetz) applies – cancellation with one month's notice. If they can supply service there, you have to carry the contract over.
• Gym membership: courts generally only recognise a special termination right if the move wasn't your own choice and the distance is unreasonable. A rough benchmark is a commute of around 30 minutes or more. Many gyms are accommodating if you provide proof of the move.
• Electricity and gas: moving usually gives you a special termination right with six weeks' notice. Alternatively, you can carry the contract over to your new address – in which case the provider may in turn let you cancel if prices change.
• Rental agreement: for your old flat, the statutory notice period is three months to the end of a month, unless something more favourable has been agreed.
• Broadcasting fee (Rundfunkbeitrag): if you move into a household that's already registered, you can deregister your own fee – saving €18.36 a month.

Important: special termination rights are almost always tied to a short window for exercising them, often two to six weeks from when you learn the moving date. Cancel in writing, state the moving date and new address, and ask for confirmation.

Contracts that usually just carry over

• Mobile phone, streaming services, cloud and software subscriptions
• Health, pension and life insurance
• Car insurance – continues, but the premium often changes
• Bank accounts, credit cards, brokerage accounts

For car insurance, it's worth checking the regional risk class: it depends on your vehicle registration district and can change your premium by several hundred euros a year. Report the move promptly – if the new region is cheaper, you'll get money back; if it's more expensive, you avoid a backdated charge.

Contracts you should update in content

• Home contents insurance: the sum insured is based on your floor area, typically around €650 per square metre. After moving, double cover for the old and new flat usually applies only for a transition period of around two months.
• Liability insurance: check whether damage to rented property is covered for your new flat.
• Newspaper and magazine subscriptions: regional titles often no longer make sense at your new address.
• Clubs, memberships, tradesperson and gardening contracts at your old address.

How to cancel correctly

In your letter, state the contract or customer number, the desired cancellation date, the moving date and the new address. As a fallback, add: "Should cancellation on the date stated not be possible, I hereby cancel at the earliest possible date and ask to be informed of that date." Send important cancellations with proof of delivery and keep the confirmation. Since 2022, providers with online sign-up must also offer a cancellation button on their website.

How to save time

We show you your ongoing business relationships at a glance. You immediately see which contracts to carry over, adjust or cancel outright – and take care of both in the same process, without wading through terms and conditions or missing a contract.