Liability and insurance
Who is liable for moving damage — and up to what amount?
The removal contractor is liable by law for 620 euro per cubic metre of loading space (§ 451e HGB). This page explains what that means in euro, which deadlines apply, and when the statutory cover is not enough.
Under a German moving contract the removal contractor is liable under § 451e HGB for loss of and damage to the goods, capped at 620 euro per cubic metre of loading space needed to fulfil the contract. For 30 cubic metres that is a maximum liability of 18,600 euro for the whole move — not per item. Very few customers know this figure, because it is almost never published. Here it is, together with the deadlines, the exceptions and what additional insurance changes.
- § 451e HGB620 € per m³ of loading space
- The liability cap for moving contracts. The basis is the loading space in cubic metres required to fulfil the contract — not the value of a single item, and not the number of boxes.
- § 438 HGBAt handover / 14 days
- Reporting deadlines. Externally visible damage must be reported at the latest on delivery, damage not externally visible within fourteen days. If the deadline is missed, delivery in undamaged condition is presumed.
- §§ 451 ff. HGBThe moving contract
- The Commercial Code's own section for moving contracts. It displaces the general freight rules for removals, and it is the reason different liability limits apply to a move than to ordinary forwarding.
- § 451d HGBSpecial exclusions
- Lists the cases in which the contractor is released from liability — among them where the damage is attributable to packing done by the consignor. That is the statutory basis for the limited liability on self-packed boxes.
What do 620 euro per cubic metre mean in practice?
The cap relates to the loading space, not to the individual item. A move of 30 cubic metres therefore has a maximum liability of 18,600 euro for the entire job. As long as the total damage stays below that, the actual loss is compensated — the 620 euro is a ceiling, not a flat rate. The cap only bites once the sum of all damage exceeds it.
When is the statutory liability not enough?
When the value of your goods is clearly above 620 euro per cubic metre. Ordinary household contents sit below it — a cubic metre of boxes with clothes, books and kitchenware rarely reaches that value. High-value furnishings reach it quickly: designer furniture, art, collections, good musical instruments, camera equipment, or a library of first editions. For those cases we arrange additional transport insurance.
How does additional transport insurance work?
You declare the value to be insured yourself — for the whole move or for individual valuables — and the premium follows that value. That is the decisive point: we do not estimate what your furnishings are worth; you declare it. For single items, insuring them separately is usually cheaper than raising the cover on the entire move.
By when must I report moving damage?
Externally visible damage at the latest on delivery, meaning on moving day itself and in the presence of the crew. Damage not externally visible within fourteen days of delivery, in text form. These deadlines are in § 438 HGB and are not a goodwill rule: if a deadline is missed, the law presumes that the goods were delivered undamaged. Rebutting that presumption afterwards is very hard.
Why is liability limited for self-packed boxes?
Because we could not check the contents or the packing quality. Handing over a sealed box means handing over a black box: whether the crockery was wrapped in paper, whether voids were filled, whether what the label says is actually inside — none of it is verifiable for us. § 451d HGB recognises this and releases the contractor from liability so far as the damage is attributable to the consignor's packing. A box undamaged on the outside with breakages inside is therefore regularly not a recoverable transport claim.
What is the practical way around it?
Have exactly what matters packed by us. You pack books, clothes and kitchen utensils; you hand us crockery, glasses, pictures, electronics and collectables to pack. You pay a fraction of the full packing at 300 – 900 € and have the complete liability position for precisely the items in question. That is the recommendation we give most often.
What is the public liability insurance and what does it cover?
The public and professional liability insurance — ours is with LVN — covers damage we cause outside the goods themselves: a scrape in the stairwell, a damaged flat door, damage to the parquet in the new flat. It is a different thing from the transport liability under § 451e HGB and applies exactly where that does not. We give you the sum insured on request.
What is excluded from liability?
Besides self-packing there are further statutory exclusions — among them damage to items that are particularly fragile by their nature, damage caused by defective packing by the consignor, and damage to live animals and plants. Valuables, cash, jewellery and documents do not belong in the consignment but in your own bag. The full conditions and exclusions come with the quote and the terms of business.
- Self-packed boxes — limited liability for transport damage to the contents
- Cash, jewellery, securities and documents — not part of the consignment
- We do not transport live animals
- Items we explicitly do not move: pianos, grand pianos, safes, billiard tables, industrial machinery
From damage to settlement
Five steps, from documenting before the move to repair or replacement.
Documentation before the move
The crew records the condition of valuable and fragile items before transport, with a photograph and a date. That is not distrust; it is what makes anything provable if there is a claim.
Careful transport
Trained staff, suitable packing material, secured loading. Furniture is padded and strapped, not stacked and hoped for.
Documentation after the move
The condition is checked with you at the new address and recorded. Take the twenty minutes for it — it is the only moment in which externally visible damage can be reported within the deadline.
Reporting the damage
You report it to us with a photograph and a short description. Externally visible damage at handover under § 438 HGB, concealed damage within fourteen days in text form.
Repair or replacement
After assessment we repair the damaged item or replace it within the statutory liability — up to the agreed insured value where additional transport insurance was taken. What can be repaired is repaired; a repaired wardrobe is usually a better outcome than a partial payment.
Common questions about liability and insurance
Who is liable for moving damage in Germany?
The moving company, under § 451e HGB, capped at 620 euro per cubic metre of loading space required to fulfil the contract. For 30 cubic metres that is 18,600 euro of maximum liability for the whole move. Within that cap the actual loss is compensated — the 620 euro is a ceiling, not a flat rate per item.
How much is 620 euro per cubic metre on my move?
Multiply your volume by 620. A two-room flat at 25 m³ comes to 15,500 euro, a four-room flat at 50 m³ to 31,000 euro. If the value of your furnishings is clearly above that, additional transport insurance makes sense.
By when do I have to report moving damage?
Externally visible damage at the latest on delivery, that is on moving day in the presence of the crew. Concealed damage within fourteen days of delivery, in text form. Both deadlines are in § 438 HGB. If one is missed, the law presumes delivery in undamaged condition.
What happens if I miss the 14-day deadline?
The statutory presumption in § 438 HGB applies: the goods are taken to have been delivered undamaged. You can rebut it in theory; in practice that is very hard without documentation from the moving period. Report once too often and too early rather than once too late.
Are self-packed boxes covered?
Only to a limited extent as regards transport damage to the contents. § 451d HGB releases the contractor from liability so far as the damage is attributable to the consignor's packing — and we could check neither the contents nor the packing quality of a sealed box. For everything we packed, liability applies without restriction.
Do I need additional transport insurance?
It makes sense when the value of your goods exceeds 620 euro per cubic metre. Ordinary household contents sit below; high-value furnishings, art, collections and expensive equipment sit above it quickly. You declare the insured value and the premium follows it — for individual pieces, separate cover is usually cheaper than raising cover on the whole move.
What is the difference between transport liability and public liability?
Transport liability under § 451e HGB covers damage to the goods being moved. The public and professional liability insurance — ours with LVN — covers damage we cause alongside: to the stairwell, the flat door, the parquet in the new flat. Two different covers for two different kinds of damage.
Will my household contents insurance pay for moving damage?
Usually not for transport damage — household policies typically cover damage in the home, not in transit. Some tariffs contain a time-limited moving clause covering contents at both addresses for a period. Ask your insurer before the move; it is one phone call and it can make the difference.
Do I report damage to the moving company or to the insurer?
To us, with a photograph and a short description. We assess and settle within the statutory liability. If you took out additional transport insurance, we pass the report to the insurer — you do not have to deal with two parties at once.
Is damaged furniture repaired or replaced?
What can be repaired properly is repaired; with solid wood and good veneers that is usually a better outcome than a partial payment. Where repair makes no sense, it is replaced within the statutory liability — up to the agreed value where transport insurance was taken.
Are you liable for damage to the stairwell?
Yes, that is what the public and professional liability insurance is for. We document such damage immediately and report it to the insurer — including when the building management notices it only weeks later. A photographed condition before work starts helps everyone involved.
What about damage during storage?
For the storage period it is not the transport liability under § 451e HGB that applies but the storage contract, with its own terms, which you receive with the quote. Anyone storing valuable furnishings for longer should discuss additional insurance at a self-declared value — for storage over several months that is the more common recommendation.
Legal framework
The statutory liability for moving contracts under §§ 451 ff. HGB applies, in particular the liability cap of 620 euro per cubic metre of loading space under § 451e HGB. Transport insurance beyond that is available for a specific move or for individual valuables; the premium follows the value you declare. Public and professional liability insurance: LVN; the sum insured is available on request. This page sets out the framework and is not legal advice. The full conditions and exclusions come with our quote and our terms of business.
Read on
Around the clock
Questions about prices, liability or dates?
Our assistant answers at any hour — using the same figures and the same liability rules published on this site. Anything it cannot answer safely, it hands to a person.
If something has happened, call before you throw anything away or have it repaired. Photographs of the condition and a short conversation settle most cases within a few days.