Furniture damaged by a removal company: what can you do?

A broken table is annoying. Good evidence makes it fixable.

The answer in 2 lines. Check your furniture and boxes while the removal team is still there. Photograph every bit of damage and write it on the delivery or job sheet before you sign. Then complain to the firm in writing as soon as you can, and check your contract for any deadline for reporting damage. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a removal firm must do the job with reasonable care and skill. If the firm says no, use its complaints process, then any trade association or dispute resolution scheme named in its terms. As a last resort, you can make a small claim at court.

The 3 steps

On delivery, check furniture and boxes in front of the team and photograph each item of damage, with the date.
Write precise notes on the delivery or job sheet before you sign, for example "oak wardrobe, left door split", not just "unchecked". If they will not let you write anything, note it in an email to the firm that same day.
Read your contract for any deadline for reporting damage, then send a written complaint listing every item, with your photos, well within it.

Stop: danger

Smell of gas after a cooker was moved: do not use switches or flames, open windows, leave and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 from outside. Only a Gas Safe registered engineer may disconnect or reconnect a gas cooker.
A damaged wardrobe, bookcase or mirror that wobbles: do not stand it up or fix it to the wall. Lay it flat, away from children, until it has been looked at.
A washing machine or dishwasher leaking after the move: turn off the water at its valve or the stop tap, and keep away from wet sockets.

What to put in your complaint

Your name, the date of the move and the job or booking reference.
A list of each damaged or missing item, what is wrong with it and its value. Include receipts, repair quotes or proof of a similar item's price if you have them.
Your photos, and a copy of the delivery sheet with your notes.
Say that under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the service had to be carried out with reasonable care and skill, and say what you want: repair, replacement cost or a price reduction.
Give a clear date for a reply, and keep a copy of everything.

How much you can get

Your contract may set a limit per item or a total value for your belongings, or offer extra cover for a fee. Check what you signed up for.
A contract term cannot remove the firm's duty to use reasonable care and skill (Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 57).
For an old piece of furniture, compensation is often based on its value before the damage, not the price of a brand-new one.
Keep the damaged item and its pieces: the firm or its insurer may want to inspect it.

What not to do

Signing the delivery sheet as "all fine" because the team is in a hurry.
Missing the reporting deadline in your contract: check it on the day of the move.
Throwing away or repairing the item before the firm has replied or inspected it.

If the firm says no

Ask for the reasons in writing, and for the name of its insurer.
It may dispute damage inside boxes you packed yourself. Photos of the contents and careful packing help.
Use the firm's complaints process, then any trade association or dispute resolution scheme named in its terms or on its website.
Still stuck? Send a letter before claim giving a deadline (usually 14 days) and saying you are willing to try mediation. Then you can make a claim online at GOV.UK — Make a court claim for money. Claims under £10,000 are usually small claims. The fee depends on the amount: see the court fees page.
Free help: the Citizens Advice consumer service, by phone or online chat, from that page.

If you paid by card

Credit card: if the move cost more than £100 and no more than £30,000, the card provider may share responsibility with the firm (section 75).
Debit card: ask your bank in writing to start a chargeback.
How to do it: Citizens Advice — getting your money back if you paid by card or PayPal. Follow its steps and include your complaint and photos.

Good to know

Moved yourself with a hired van and friends? The van hire firm is not responsible for your furniture. Check your home contents insurance instead.
If the firm used a subcontractor, your complaint still goes to the firm you booked with.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own court processes, and in Scotland the time limit is 5 years.

In Sheffield, Daniel finds a broken leg on his dining table as it comes off the van. He photographs it and writes on the job sheet: "dining table, front right leg snapped". That evening he emails the firm with the photos and a repair quote, quoting the Consumer Rights Act. Three weeks later the firm pays for the repair.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on 6 November 2026, for England. Confidence: high for the duty of reasonable care and skill, the small claims route, the card rules and the time limits (legislation.gov.uk, GOV.UK, Citizens Advice); medium for compensation amounts and reporting deadlines, which depend on your contract. This guide is general information, not legal advice.