Cancelling contracts and subscriptions after a death

What ends automatically — and what does not

The basic rule surprises many people: a contract does not simply end because one party has died. Under the rules of universal succession, heirs step into ongoing contracts, just as they take on assets and debts. The mobile provider, the streaming service, the gym — none of them notice the death on their own, and they keep charging until someone acts.

Only a few contract types are exceptions, because the service was tied personally to the deceased. Private health insurance ends automatically on death, since there is no longer anyone to insure. Purely personal service contracts — a bespoke tutoring or consulting arrangement, for example — usually lapse automatically too. Almost everything else has to be actively ended.

The special termination right on death

Because nobody should be forced to keep a deceased person's contract running until its originally agreed end date, German law and many providers' terms grant heirs a special termination right. It allows an extraordinary cancellation, often with a shorter notice period than the contract provided, sometimes immediately.

• Tenancy agreements: under § 580 of the German Civil Code (BGB), heirs can terminate a residential lease with the statutory notice period — by the third working day of a month, effective at the end of the month after next. This deadline applies regardless of what the original lease said.
• Mobile and internet contracts: most providers grant an extraordinary termination right on death, usually against a death certificate and with a notice period of a few weeks rather than the regular minimum term.
• Gym and club memberships: many rules and terms include a special termination right effective at the end of the month, sometimes even backdated to the date of death.
• Insurance: distinctions matter here. Property insurance such as contents insurance passes automatically to the heirs and can be cancelled with notice. Private health insurance ends automatically. Life insurance becomes payable and is paid out, not cancelled.

Without this special right, the ordinary — often multi-month — notice periods and minimum terms would apply, leaving a household paying for a phone contract nobody uses anymore.

Who is entitled to cancel

Providers only accept a cancellation from someone who can prove their entitlement. Three situations come up in practice:

• Heirs: once heir status is established, they may act on behalf of the estate. For everyday contracts, a copy of the death certificate plus an informal statement of being an heir is often enough; for larger contract values, providers require a certificate of inheritance.
• Holders of a power of attorney surviving death: if such a power of attorney was granted during the person's lifetime, the holder can act immediately without waiting for the certificate of inheritance — often the fastest route in practice.
• Executors (Testamentsvollstrecker): where one has been appointed, the authority to manage the estate lies with them, proven via the executor's certificate.

Depending on the provider, a copy of the death certificate is enough. For financially significant contracts — banks, insurers, tenancies — providers usually also require a certificate of inheritance in original or certified copy, or a notarised power of attorney. It is worth asking the provider in advance which documents they actually need, rather than guessing.

Finding forgotten subscriptions

You can only cancel what you know about. The most reliable method is going through twelve months of bank and credit card statements and flagging every recurring charge. Monthly subscriptions show up twelve times, annual ones at least once — both periods should be covered. Typical finds are small charges from app stores, cloud services, magazine publishers and fitness apps, which tend to go unnoticed precisely because they never stand out.

Overview: contracts and how to end them

Template cancellation letter

Most providers accept an informal but complete letter. The template below can be adapted for electricity, mobile, internet, gym memberships and similar contracts — replace the bracketed placeholders with the relevant details.

[Your first and last name, as heir / attorney-in-fact]
[Street and house number]
[Postal code and city]

[Provider name]
[Street and house number]
[Postal code and city]

[City], [date]

Cancellation of the contract of [first and last name of the deceased],
Customer / contract number: [number]

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to inform you that [first and last name of the deceased]
passed away on [date of death]. As [heir / holder of a power of attorney
surviving death / executor], I hereby cancel the above contract on behalf
of the estate, effective at the earliest possible date, and in the
alternative I rely on any special termination right you grant on death,
effective immediately.

I enclose a copy of the death certificate. [If applicable, add: a copy of
the certificate of inheritance / power of attorney.]

Please confirm the cancellation and the effective end date in writing, and
let me know whether any outstanding charges or credit balances remain.

Yours faithfully,

[Signature]
[First and last name]

For a tenancy, there is one important difference: refer expressly to § 580 BGB and state the statutory deadline (by the third working day of a month, effective at the end of the month after next) instead of citing a general "special termination right" — this makes it easier for the landlord to check and avoids follow-up questions.

How this fits into the bigger picture

Cancelling contracts is only one part of a digital and contractual estate. For a full overview — from accounts to devices to powers of attorney and wills — see the complete guide to digital estate planning. It also explains how an organised record prevents relatives from having to search for forgotten contracts in the first place.