Cancel a gym membership, including early in case of a move or illness

You want out of your gym contract, because of a move, illness, or simply after the term has ended? Depending on the reason you have various routes, and since the reform of consumer law the automatic renewal has been significantly defused.

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Your chances of getting your money back

After the minimum term ends, the contract may only be renewed for an indefinite period and is then terminable with at most one month's notice (§ 309 no. 9 BGB, new version), with no renewed one-year commitment.

An important cause (§ 314 BGB) allows extraordinary termination, for example a medically certified, permanent inability to train. A mere move is not always enough under the case law, but with evidence your chances are better.

What you should do now

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1. Check the term and renewal
Are you within the minimum term or already in the renewal? In the renewal the short one-month period applies.
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2. Terminate ordinarily
Terminate within the deadline in text form (for example, email) and demand a confirmation with the contract end date.
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3. Extraordinary termination with proof
In case of permanent illness or inability to train, enclose a meaningful medical certificate and invoke the important cause (§ 314 BGB).
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4. Insist on confirmation
If the gym keeps debiting despite the termination, object and reclaim the amounts.

Frequently asked questions

Can I terminate extraordinarily because of a move?

Not automatically. The case law does not always see a move as an important cause, because the gym is not responsible for it. A permanent, medically certified inability to train, by contrast, is a recognized cause (§ 314 BGB).

Does my contract renew for a whole year?

For contracts falling under the new rule, no: after the minimum term the contract may only renew indefinitely and is then terminable with at most one month's notice.

Take action now

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General information for self-help, not legal advice (RDG). In case of a high loss or uncertainty: contact a consumer advice center or a lawyer.