Who is liable for theft of an e-bike from a hotel garage?

Questioner

Short stay on Veluwe, took bikes, placed in hotel bike shed, cut 2 cable locks the next morning, e-bike disappeared (7 months old, 3,000 euros, not insured). Bike shed locked/not/partly locked. No mention of storage at own risk or something. Is the hotel liable?

Lawyer

This often depends on the precise circumstances of the case. It is also important to know what is stated in the general terms and conditions of the specific hotel. Often something is stated there about liability. Even if it were stated that they are not liable, this may be different in practice. First of all, it is important whether you have paid for the parking of the bicycles and whether it is a mandatory location for parking the bicycles. There may be a question of safekeeping, in which case a hotel cannot simply exclude liability. Whether this happens more often will also play a role. If the hotel is aware that bicycles are stolen more often, they can be expected to take measures or at least explicitly warn visitors of the danger of placing bicycles. Please feel free to contact me via my profile if you would like to discuss the matter further or require legal assistance.