Timeshare rentals?

[folivier]

We've been using VRBO rentals for a number of years and pleased with most of them. They are economical for monthly rentals but in-season they can be expensive for a weekly rental. So we are looking for options for weekly rentals especially on short notice trips.
Someone recently posted about renting from a time share owner. But in reading up on that there seem to be some pitfalls in doing so. There can be some bargains but what happens if a rental from an owner is "not allowed" by the resort?
We've considered these before but were scared off by comments like "don't tell management you're renting from us". "Don't use the pool, restaurant, etc."
So how do you avoid these problems?

 

[Senator]

Someone recently posted about renting from a time share owner. But in reading up on that there seem to be some pitfalls in doing so. There can be some bargains but what happens if a rental from an owner is "not allowed" by the resort?

Worse case, they fine the owner. If the owner doesn't pay the fine, they foreclose.

I doubt that you could be evicted.

So how do you avoid these problems?

Easy, rent at a legitimate place....

 

[ivinsfan]

Try the website "endlessvacations" it's run by Wyndham and features excess inventory in their system. Sign-up for the email specials and we will see some great deals.

You are not going to find a lot "in season" but for short notice trips they are unbeatable...

 

[FUEGO]

I've seen these advertised on ebay and elsewhere. They were very cheap compared to market rental rates. A few hundred per week in Vegas. $600-800 for a 2 BR place in Myrtle Beach compared to 50-100% more for a market rental.

 

[marko]

You lost me at the word "timeshare"

 

[KmmFIdreamer]

I outright bought a timeshare on Ebay once for super cheap. I would never ever pay full price for one, but at a bargain price ($200) I have gotten a lot of use out of it. I usually do a trade for someplace I want to go...

It is only worthwhile though if the unit you buy has a reasonable maintenance fee and is on a good exchange board.

As far as renting one, I would think that you need to make sure of legitimacy of it. I know that I can rent mine out though the actual resort if I don't want to use it or do an " registered owner guest" for a small fee. Something definitely isn't right if the owner says "don't tell" and I would run as far away as possible.....

 

[kcowan]

As far as renting one, I would think that you need to make sure of legitimacy of it. I know that I can rent mine out though the actual resort if I don't want to use it or do an " registered owner guest" for a small fee. Something definitely isn't right if the owner says "don't tell" and I would run as far away as possible.....

Yes we rented our timeshare independently. We also traded it through a swapping site. All above board. The resort rented it for market rates, whereas we rented it for twice what the maintenance fee was.

Good advice above.

 

[Hermit]

I am encouraged to make sure mine is used. All I need to do is send them a fax with the name of who will be using it for the week and my signature. Never had a problem.

 

[zinger1457]

It's usually not a problem when someone rents out a timeshare unit that they own. It can be a problem if someone rents out a unit that they obtained through one of the exchange companies. Ask to see a copy of the resort confirmation for the week being rented, if the confirmation is from an exchange company (Interval, RCI, etc.) it should raise some red flags.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Try the website "endlessvacations" it's run by Wyndham and features excess inventory in their system. Sign-up for the email specials and we will see some great deals.

You are not going to find a lot "in season" but for short notice trips they are unbeatable...

I just signed up. We have had a fun time with free / cheap unsold tickets for local events, so maybe we will move up to last minute travel after this. The bargain part for us is half the fun.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

It's usually not a problem when someone rents out a timeshare unit that they own. It can be a problem if someone rents out a unit that they obtained through one of the exchange companies. Ask to see a copy of the resort confirmation for the week being rented, if the confirmation is from an exchange company (Interval, RCI, etc.) it should raise some red flags.

I asked an "owner" to send verification of their actual ownership once for a vacation rental and never heard from them again.

 

[NW-Bound]

I did not know about endlessvacationrentals, and just checked them out. Their $59 for 3 nights deal requires an additional resort fee, which varies from $0 to $24/day on the ones that I spot-checked. It's still cheap, but I cannot handle the required 90-120 min "presentation".

The weekly deals look good at $75/night with no sales pitch, but they also require an additional fee, which is $150/week for the one that I sampled.

I have bookmarked this for possible future use.

 

[ivinsfan]

Add on fees are no fun, my SIL booked a couple of timeshares for a family event in London in November. This was thru RCI, no exchange, a cash purchase of extra inventory. There was the classic cleaning fee, the special handling fee for a non-rci member to check into the unit AND an additional add on fee for gas and electricity use. We have at least 7 people staying there so it's much cheaper then hotel rooms, but the fee are getting completely out of line.

It's very rare now to see the $75 dollar a night fee on the booking page be the actual out the door price...

 

[capjak]

I own 6 timeshares (Disney beach club, Disney Saratoga Springs, Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villa, Marriott Grande Vista, Sheraton Vistana villages, Hilton Grande Vacation Flamingo )all bought resale some off eBay and other places.

For Rentals check out Redweek.com, here is a good general timeshare site http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13

Here are people that retired sold their house and have been using timeshares for their residence for years
http://fulltimetimeshare.com/blog | Mike and Edie's adventures travelling from time share to time share for 2 to 5 years and

Ron and Joan's Journey

 

[NW-Bound]

There we go. No more home repair and maintenance, lawn service...

I have bookmarked this blog for a later read.

 

[Sunset]

I own 6 timeshares (Disney beach club, Disney Saratoga Springs, Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villa, Marriott Grande Vista, Sheraton Vistana villages, Hilton Grande Vacation Flamingo )all bought resale some off eBay and other places.

For Rentals check out Redweek.com, here is a good general timeshare site Buying, Selling, Renting - Timeshare Users Group Forums

Here are people that retired sold their house and have been using timeshares for their residence for years
http://fulltimetimeshare.com/blog | Mike and Edie's adventures travelling from time share to time share for 2 to 5 years and

Ron and Joan's Journey

I once rented a timeshare in Vegas on the strip bedside Bellagio (the one with the fountain).
It was $250 for the week. Probably about 12 yrs ago.
Bellagio was $500 for 1 night on the weekend as a point of reference.

Yes it was a risk, the but owner told them I'd be coming, and suggested I phone to make sure he did as he said.
Really he was also taking a risk as I mailed him a check.

 

[Sunset]

I asked an "owner" to send verification of their actual ownership once for a vacation rental and never heard from them again.

As an owner I'd consider that weird and suspicous, couldn't you phone the resort to ask if it's legit for Mr X to rent to you on a certain time ?

 

[capjak]

There we go. No more home repair and maintenance, lawn service...

I have bookmarked this blog for a later read.

No heat/phone/cable/electric/water bill
Weekly Cleaning
Managers Party
Coffee/Tea
Swimming Pool
Exercise Room
Activities
Reduced Fee Golf

Great for Snowbirds (I know several that do this). You buy a timeshare for $1 with $900 mf per year and buy weekly getaways for $200 to $700 a week in a Marriott (Orlando no issues other more $$ per week) Hyatt Maui getaway 2 bedroom is $2400 week for example (but its Hyatt Maui you can always go with cheaper Maui place for less than $1000)

 

[cyber888]

No, I completely disagree with you. I exchange thru Interval, and I can assign the exchange to anyone I like. I've assigned my timeshare weeks to relatives and friends without any problem. Someone could pay me for that week, and I could assign any name I want to assign for that week with Interval. As long as you have a driver's license ID, the resort will take you in if you have the Interval exchange certificate in your name.

It's usually not a problem when someone rents out a timeshare unit that they own. It can be a problem if someone rents out a unit that they obtained through one of the exchange companies. Ask to see a copy of the resort confirmation for the week being rented, if the confirmation is from an exchange company (Interval, RCI, etc.) it should raise some red flags.

 

[JPatrick]

I did not know about endlessvacationrentals, and just checked them out. Their $59 for 3 nights deal requires an additional resort fee, which varies from $0 to $24/day on the ones that I spot-checked. It's still cheap, but I cannot handle the required 90-120 min "presentation".
.

Besides the major pain in the butt presentation, this company sometimes adds a dining certificate for a place that does not appear exist in the area.
verify, verify..

 

[capjak]

No, I completely disagree with you. I exchange thru Interval, and I can assign the exchange to anyone I like. I've assigned my timeshare weeks to relatives and friends without any problem. Someone could pay me for that week, and I could assign any name I want to assign for that week with Interval. As long as you have a driver's license ID, the resort will take you in if you have the Interval exchange certificate in your name.

Renting II exchanges for profit is against II's rules/policy. You can give it away but are not supposed to rent it out, same with Getaways, can give it away at cost plus guest certificate but can not rent for profit

 

[Johnora]

So my first post goes here instead of in the Hi, I am so and so page. This was more interesting. My DW and I are about to retire, as for myself in less than 1 year. We have been using our two timeshare weeks for many years now with lots of success anywhere we have gone. We are members of Interval International and as such we trade our weeks more often than if we used them at our home resort. We bought both weeks at foreclosure prices and pay our yearly fees which are very reasonable. We trade for places all over the world and even in the Uniti4ed States have had amazing places in Hawaii, Park City, Utah, Palm Dessert, the Oregon Coast, Vegas, and Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale. We have even traded a week against a cruise vacation. The trick with any timeshare ownership is you get out of it what time you put into it, and we work the system well. We also take advantage of getaways where we can routinely pick up weeks at very nice resorts for just a couple hundred $$ a week, and we can put any other family members name on the guest certificate and gift a week to someone too, so it gives us lots of versatility. BUT, watch out for those timeshare presentations, we did not buy our thru any of those and many of those are just scary. When I can exchange a week for a villa in Palm Dessert for $179 a week and the place goes for $750 a night and is bigger than my first house, well the family thinks we have done all right. Gotta do your homework if you think of using a timeshare. Do it right and you will be happy.

 

[zinger1457]

No, I completely disagree with you. I exchange thru Interval, and I can assign the exchange to anyone I like. I've assigned my timeshare weeks to relatives and friends without any problem. Someone could pay me for that week, and I could assign any name I want to assign for that week with Interval.

Yes you can transfer the exchange to friends/family through a guest certificate but you cannot rent it out based on Intervals rules. The TUG forum has reported that Interval members have lost their membership from renting out their exchanges/getaways.

From Intervals Terms and Conditions:

Members are expressly prohibited from exchanging or renting the Host Accommodations, including, but not limited to offering the Host Accommodations for sale or rent to third parties through the use of a Guest Certificate or otherwise.

 

[capjak]

So my first post goes here instead of in the Hi, I am so and so page. This was more interesting. My DW and I are about to retire, as for myself in less than 1 year. We have been using our two timeshare weeks for many years now with lots of success anywhere we have gone. We are members of Interval International and as such we trade our weeks more often than if we used them at our home resort. We bought both weeks at foreclosure prices and pay our yearly fees which are very reasonable. We trade for places all over the world and even in the Uniti4ed States have had amazing places in Hawaii, Park City, Utah, Palm Dessert, the Oregon Coast, Vegas, and Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale. We have even traded a week against a cruise vacation. The trick with any timeshare ownership is you get out of it what time you put into it, and we work the system well. We also take advantage of getaways where we can routinely pick up weeks at very nice resorts for just a couple hundred $$ a week, and we can put any other family members name on the guest certificate and gift a week to someone too, so it gives us lots of versatility. BUT, watch out for those timeshare presentations, we did not buy our thru any of those and many of those are just scary. When I can exchange a week for a villa in Palm Dessert for $179 a week and the place goes for $750 a night and is bigger than my first house, well the family thinks we have done all right. Gotta do your homework if you think of using a timeshare. Do it right and you will be happy.

We own 5 timeshares all bought on the resale market and use the same way and will retire in a year as well. you can spend the entire winter months in florida using getaways.

 

[green night]

We own 5 timeshares all bought on the resale market and use the same way and will retire in a year as well. you can spend the entire winter months in florida using getaways.

When you say "getaways" are you saying timeshares or something else? thanks!