Movers damaged or lost your things: how to claim in Canada

If the movers are still there

This is the best moment to protect your claim. Before the crew leaves:

1. Check items against the inventory as they come off the truck (Office of Consumer Affairs).
2. Write any damage or missing item on the delivery papers before you sign. Take a photo of what you wrote (Ontario.ca).
3. Photograph the damage up close and from a step back, so the whole item shows.
4. Look inside the truck to make sure nothing was left behind, and walk the halls and stairs for damage to the building (OCA).
5. Keep a copy of everything you sign.

Signing for the delivery doesn’t end your right to claim. In Ontario, BC and Alberta, the contract itself must say so (Ontario, BC, Alberta). Some movers say otherwise, so note what you see anyway.

If you find damage after they leave

Many people only find damage while unpacking. You can still claim. Do this the same day:

1. Stop unpacking that item. Don’t repair it or throw it out, and keep the box and wrapping.
2. Take photos: the damage, the whole item, and the box it came in.
3. Find your contract. Check the protection level you chose, and any claim deadline.
4. Get a written repair estimate from a professional. Québec’s consumer office says this person may be asked to testify (OPC).
5. Send the written claim (below). Don’t wait for the estimate if the deadline is close.

Claim against the company you booked with, even if another company did the move (Canadian Association of Movers). Booked through a broker? Check your contract. The Office of Consumer Affairs warns that many brokers don’t take responsibility for lost or broken items (OCA).

If something is missing

A missing item is harder to prove than a broken one. You have to show the mover had it.

• The inventory is your proof. If the item or box is on the list the mover signed at pickup, mark it “missing” on the delivery papers.
• Boxes you packed yourself. In Ontario, Alberta and BC, the mover isn’t liable for what was inside, unless it was negligent. The exception: boxes opened for the mover, listed and signed for (Ontario, Schedule 3).
• The whole shipment never arrived. The written notice deadline becomes 9 months from the pickup date instead of 60 days (Ontario, Québec Civil Code, art. 2050).
• You think something was stolen. Report it to the police, and keep the report number for your claim.

Write the claim

Send the claim by email and keep proof that it arrived. Ontario’s rule lists what a claim must include: where the move started and ended, the date, and the amount you’re claiming (O. Reg. 643/05, Schedule 3, art. 12). The mover must confirm it received your claim within 30 days.

The deadline in the rules is 60 days, but don’t wait that long. The Office of Consumer Affairs says claims often must be made within 30 days for local moves and within 60 days for long-distance moves (OCA).

If the mover says no

Most claims are settled with the mover. If yours isn’t, send a final demand letter. In Québec this is a formal notice, and it can be required before you sue (Québec.ca). Québec’s template gives the business 10 days to pay, and asks you to keep proof it was received.

A consumer office can help in some cases, but it won’t usually get you paid for broken furniture:

• Ontario. A complaint to the ministry is free, and it replies within 15 business days. It may try to mediate, but it may not help if you want compensation other than a refund (Ontario.ca).
• Québec. The OPC’s steps are: negotiate, send a formal notice, then go to small claims court (OPC). In 2019, a Québec mover and its president were convicted and fined. Its contracts charged $250 for any damage claim (Québec.ca, French only).
• British Columbia. Consumer Protection BC has said it doesn’t regulate moving companies, and points people to the Civil Resolution Tribunal (Consumer Protection BC).

Small claims, province by province

For most moving damage, small claims court is the place to get paid. You don’t need a lawyer. In Québec, lawyers aren’t allowed in small claims (Québec.ca).

Time to sue is the general limitation period. It usually runs from when you found the damage; in Québec, from the delivery. The 60-day written notice to the mover comes first, and it’s much shorter. Miss it, and you can lose a claim that is still within the time to sue.

What wins and loses these cases

BC’s Civil Resolution Tribunal publishes its decisions. We read its moving cases to see what made the difference. Three show the pattern:

• Before and after photos won. A customer proved a vase broke during the move with photos from before and after. She was awarded $900 for the vase and other damaged furniture. The mover said the law capped it at $1 a pound; the tribunal found that wasn’t accurate (Davies v. James Movers, 2024).
• No proof the mover had it lost. In the same case, a claim for a missing antique stand failed. The customer couldn’t show the mover ever had it (Davies).
• Close-up photos weren’t enough. A $3,000 claim was dismissed. The photos were too close up to show the item’s condition before the move. The customer had also signed that he packed his furniture at his own risk (Lebowa v. Move Me Canada, 2025).
• No “before” evidence lost. A claim for a bedroom set failed because there were no photos of its condition before the move. The tribunal said the burden of proof is on the person claiming (Furnell v. Smoother Movers, 2018).

So take wide photos of valuable furniture before moving day, read what you sign at pickup, and make sure every box is on the inventory. Tribunal decisions don’t bind other cases, but they show what decision-makers look for.

How much the mover has to pay

That depends on the protection level in your contract. With basic protection, many contracts pay about $0.60 per pound per item, so a light, expensive item gets very little. If you didn’t choose a level, Ontario, Alberta and BC set a higher limit. Our guide to moving insurance in Canada explains the levels and has a calculator.

Your home or tenant insurance may also cover some of the loss (Ontario.ca). Call your insurer and ask before you settle with the mover.