Consumer Advocacy
Rent a Timeshare
Advice for Rentees
We’ve written on this site before about what to consider if you’re planning on renting out your timeshare weeks to another individual. But what if you’re on the other side of the fence, and find yourself wanting to experience the comfort of a timeshare resort without paying all the fees and dues? Well, you’re in luck.
Nowadays it’s very common to find folks who for whatever reason are able to use or stop payment on their timeshare weeks, and who are willing to rent these weeks out. There are other ways to seek these sorts of transactions as well, it isn’t strictly a peer-to-peer phenomenon – many timeshare resorts rent out the units that they were unable to sell (or rent them out as a courtesy to owners who were unable to use them). So you could approach a broker or a resort regarding this option, although consider that they will probably attempt to sell you an actual timeshare week in the process. There’s also always Craigslist, ebay, and a host of other sites (beware of scam sites, though, and never give your money to a non-accredited or non-secure website!)
But, there are hidden complexities. Writer “Ed” from the website Travel Vacation Digest gives the following advice:
“But how will the timeshare rentals work out? Let us do some math. If you rent a hotel or a room in a resort the rent per night typically costs around $200 per night. Which means it is around $1,400 for a week's vacation and if you have more people and if you need another room it will end up totaling $2,800. Compare this to a timeshare rental, which may cost $150 per night. The total would be $1,050 only for 2-3 bedroom units.”
Of course, there are often better deals out there as well, and one must consider maintenance fees and depreciation in the overall cost of a timeshare. But you should always bear it in mind – is renting a timeshare going to save me any money? If buying one will, am I ready for a timeshare investment? Renting is a good way to discover whether a particular location is a place you could imagine returning to over and over again.
Renting has few benefits for the renter, but for the rentee it could prove an excellent holiday, providing exposure to new locales while saving money that an ordinary hotel would cost. Really, as with most things, it comes down to being a savvy consumer and doing one’s homework. Happy renting!
