As a rule, you can take your internet contract with you when you move house: your provider must keep supplying you at the new address on the same terms, and the contract term continues unchanged. Only if the provider cannot offer the agreed service there may you cancel with one month's notice. To make sure the connection works on moving day, it is best to report the move six to eight weeks in advance. This guide explains your rights, what the move costs and how to bridge the time until your line is activated.
Key points at a glance
- Moving house does not end your internet contract. The provider keeps supplying you at the new address, and the term and contract content stay the same.
- You only have a special right of termination (Sonderkündigungsrecht) if the provider cannot deliver the agreed service at your new home. The notice period is then one month.
- Report the move six to eight weeks before you move in so that a technician appointment and activation can happen in time.
- The provider may charge a fee for the move, but no more than for a new connection.
- Until activation, a mobile router or your phone's hotspot will keep you online.
Can I take my internet contract with me when I move?
Yes. If you move, you keep your contract, and the provider must deliver the service at the new address without changing the term or the other contract terms, as long as it offers the service there. This is set out in Section 60 of the German Telecommunications Act (TKG). So a move is no reason to leave the contract, as long as your provider can supply you at the new location.
For internet when moving house, this means your tariff, price and minimum term move with you. If you signed a 24-month contract in March and move in October, it continues at the new address until the original end date. The provider may only give you a new minimum term if you expressly agree to a new contract.
This is exactly why the moving form deserves a close look. Some providers present the move in such a way that you end up signing a new contract with a fresh term. The consumer advice centre (Verbraucherzentrale) points out that you can take your contracts with you without changing the term. So only sign what you really want, such as a faster tariff at the new place.
When do I have a special right of termination when moving?
You have a special right of termination if your provider cannot deliver the agreed service at the new address. You may then cancel the contract with one month's notice, even in the middle of the minimum term (Section 60(2) TKG).
Typical cases: your current cable provider has no network at your new home, or only a much slower line than the one you booked is available at the new address. If, on the other hand, the provider can deliver because the building is connected to its network, there is no special right of termination. The contract then moves with you, whether you like it or not.
It gets tricky if the new flat already has a connection from another provider, for example when you move into a shared flat or in with a partner. Courts have judged this situation differently: the Lower Saxony consumer advice centre reports a ruling that allowed special termination here too, while other courts took a narrower view. If you find yourself in this situation, give written reasons for the cancellation and get advice if in doubt.
What matters for the cancellation: send it in writing, state the moving date and the new address, and enclose a simple registration certificate (Meldebestätigung) as proof. Ask the provider to confirm in writing whether it can supply the new address.
How can I check availability before I move?
The quickest way to check availability is the address check on your provider's website, or a phone call with your exact new address. The result shows which technology (DSL, cable or fibre) and which speed are possible there.
Also ask the landlord or property management which connections the building has. A block of flats often has a phone socket in the flat and a cable connection, but not always fibre into the flat. This information determines which provider can supply you there and whether a special right of termination comes into question at all.
Note the result of the check with the date or take a screenshot. If your provider only offers a slower tariff at the new address, this is important evidence should you later need to discuss the special right of termination.
How early do I need to tell my provider about the move?
Report the move six to eight weeks before moving in. The provider needs time to activate the line at the new address, and a technician appointment is often required, which can take several weeks to arrange.
The Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) recommends reporting a move early and stresses that the move must take place on the date expressly agreed with you. The earlier you report it, the better your chance of an appointment that fits your moving day. Proceed step by step:
- Write down the new address with house number and the position of the flat, and check availability with your current provider.
- Report the move to the provider: give your customer number, moving date, new address and preferred activation date.
- Ask for written confirmation of the activation date and add the technician appointment to your moving plan.
- If the provider cannot supply you: send the special termination with your registration certificate and choose a new provider for the new address.
- Pack the router and accessories, and do not send them back as long as the contract moves with you.
- On moving day, connect the router, have your login details ready and test the connection.
Plan your internet connection together with electricity, gas and your mobile contract. How to sort out electricity for the new address in time is explained in our guide registering electricity in a new flat.
What does it cost to move my internet connection?
The provider may charge a reasonable fee for the move, but no more than for activating a new connection (Section 60 TKG). The exact amount is in the price list for your tariff.
Before reporting the move, ask for the exact amount and whether a technician visit is charged on top. Some providers waive the fee if you switch to another tariff at the same time. That can pay off, but usually means a new minimum term. So work out whether the fee you save outweighs the longer commitment.
| Situation | What applies | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Provider can supply the new address | Contract moves with you, term stays the same | Report the move six to eight weeks ahead |
| Provider cannot deliver the agreed service | Special right of termination with one month's notice | Cancel, enclose registration certificate, choose new provider |
| New flat already has a connection | Legal situation disputed | Cancel in writing with reasons, get advice if in doubt |
| Contract is ending soon anyway | Normal cancellation with one month's notice after the minimum term | Cancel and compare again at the new place |
| A moving fee is charged | No more than a new connection | Have the amount confirmed in writing in advance |
If your contract is ending soon anyway, a move is a good opportunity to compare. Once the minimum term has ended, you can cancel at any time with one month's notice (Section 56 TKG). Our guide cancelling a mobile contract shows how to go about it, as the same notice periods apply to internet and landline contracts.
How do I bridge the time without internet?
The easiest way is a mobile router with a SIM card or your smartphone's hotspot. Both work without a line in the flat and are enough for email, online banking and video calls until the landline connection is activated.
Check the data allowance in your mobile tariff beforehand. A family of four that streams in the evening uses more data in a few days than many tariffs include for a whole month. For a few weeks, a tariff with a large data allowance or a prepaid data pack can be worthwhile.
People who are rarely at home anyway or want to stay flexible sometimes keep using the router permanently instead of a landline. When that makes sense and what to look out for regarding reception is explained in our guide Wi-Fi without a landline.
Can the next tenant take over my internet contract?
Only if the provider agrees. A contract transfer is not a legal obligation but an agreement between you, the next tenant and the provider.
Many providers have a dedicated form for this that both sides sign. The next tenant then takes over the tariff, remaining term and costs, and you are free of the contract. This is mainly of interest if you move abroad or in with a partner who has their own connection and no special right of termination applies.
What happens to my landline number when I move?
You can usually keep your landline number if you move within the same local network, meaning the area code stays the same. If you move from Moers to Duisburg, for example, the area code changes and you get a new number.
Your mobile contract, by contrast, is not affected by the move, as mobile service is not tied to an address. Just update your billing address there so that post and bills reach you.
Frequently asked questions about internet when moving
Do I have to pay for two internet contracts at the same time?
Only if you neither take the old contract with you nor cancel it effectively. If the contract moves with you, you keep paying once. With a special termination, it ends after the one-month notice period.
What happens if the connection does not work on moving day?
The move must take place on the date agreed with you. Document the outage with the date, report it immediately and ask about compensation as described by the Federal Network Agency for such cases.
Does the special right of termination apply if I move abroad?
Yes, if the provider cannot supply you at your new home, which is usually the case abroad. Enclose proof of your move with the cancellation, such as the deregistration certificate (Abmeldebestätigung).
Do I have to return my old router?
Only if the contract ends and the router is rented. If the contract moves with you, simply take the router to your new home.
Internet when moving house with Connected Mobile
We work out with you whether your contract moves with you, whether a special right of termination applies and which connection is available at the new address. We check availability, handle the move notification or the cancellation and, if you wish, also sort out electricity, gas and your mobile contract in one appointment – in our shops in Moers and Duisburg, in German, Turkish, Kurdish or Arabic. You will find all our services for private customers on our homepage with advice on internet, mobile and energy, and more guides in the Connected Mobile Blog. Bring your new address and your latest internet bill, or send both via WhatsApp – we will tell you what is possible at your new home and what needs to be done.