A renovation company closes the deal at your kitchen table instead of their showroom. That single fact changes your legal position significantly — and if they don't tell you about it, your cancellation window can stretch to over a year.
Why the location of signing matters this much
Under the Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU), a contract signed "off-premises" — at your home, during an unsolicited visit, or somewhere other than the trader's normal place of business — gives you a 14-day right to withdraw without giving any reason and without cost. The reasoning, as the EU's top court has recognised, is that a consumer approached at home may be under psychological pressure or influenced by an element of surprise, even where the consumer initially invited the trader in themselves.
The trader's information duty — and what happens if they skip it
Before you're bound by an off-premises contract, the trader must clearly inform you, in writing, of your right to withdraw, including the conditions, time limits, and procedure for exercising it. If they fail to do this, the consequence is significant: the withdrawal period doesn't just continue — it's extended by a further 12 months from the end of the original 14-day period. In practice, this means a renovation contract signed at your door without proper disclosure can potentially be cancelled well over a year later.
What happens to work already carried out
If you asked the trader to begin work during the withdrawal period and then decide to withdraw, the rules depend on whether you were properly informed. If the trader failed to give you the required information about your withdrawal right and the obligation to pay for services already performed, you owe nothing for the work carried out during the withdrawal period — even if real work and materials went into it. If you were properly informed and still asked for work to start early, you may owe a proportionate amount for what was actually delivered up to the point you withdrew.
How to actually exercise this right
- Check whether the contract was genuinely signed off-premises — at your home, during a home visit, or somewhere other than the trader's business address.
- Look for the trader's written disclosure of your withdrawal right in your contract paperwork — its absence is significant.
- If within 14 days (or the extended 12-month period if disclosure was missing), notify the trader in writing that you're withdrawing — a standard withdrawal form isn't mandatory, but a clear written notice is essential.
- If work has already started, keep records of exactly what was done and when, since this affects what (if anything) you owe.
- Request the return of any deposit paid, referencing your right of withdrawal explicitly.
What this means practically
- A renovation contract signed at your home is treated very differently in law from one signed at a showroom or business premises.
- Missing withdrawal-right disclosure extends your cancellation window to up to 12 months beyond the original 14 days — a genuinely long runway.
- Whether you owe anything for work already done during the withdrawal period depends specifically on whether you were properly informed beforehand.
- Always request written proof of the withdrawal right disclosure at the time of signing — its absence later becomes your strongest protection, not a loophole to hide.
Sources
- EUR-Lex — Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU, Articles 9-14 (right of withdrawal): eur-lex.europa.eu
- Legal500 — CJEU ruling on withdrawal from off-premises contracts already performed: legal500.com
Related Kibbo Tools
- Home Renovation Contract Checklist — confirm the withdrawal right disclosure is present before signing any off-premises contract.