How can I rent a timeshare?

tuann6 wrote:

I've never rented a timeshare, but heard lots of good things about it. What are the steps?

I have rented several timeshares over the years and it is very easy, just view the one you are interested in and contact the owner. The prices are far better than a hotel and you get 2 bedroom villas. My favorite is the Royal reorts. I have never had a problem dealing with the owners we did the paper work via fax and once payment is received you receive a final confirmation from them to take to resort.

sergios6 wrote:

How can I take my own security precautions if I don't have the 60 days in advance required for a rental escrow service? I would be glad to pay for a third-party, but how can I do if I want to rent a week right now, so I could celebrate New Year's Eve in Orlando.

Yes, way too many people who want to travel do wait far too long before seeking a timeshare to rent. This may work if they want specific dates and places already listed on Redweeks but it is taking a big chance if float weeks or points are involved. The owners may have the right to request a time and place but they can't secure a reservation if there simply is no space available.

If I have (or can get) a desired confirmation in my own name, I send a photocopy to the potential renter so that they know that I really have it. I also send them a contract. It requests partial payment up front and the balance later. As soon as full payment is received, I have the guest confirmation sent directly to them. All concerned need to be a little forthcoming with names, addresses, and phone numbers to establish mutual trust. When time is short, we sometimes have to cut straight to the chase!

jennie wrote:

When you make the reservation, do they tell you then which unit they are giving you? Many resorts do. Or is this a resort that will not tell you until you actually check in?

Are you asking about a specific resort's policy? Many resorts/resort groups do assign a specific unit up front but others do not. You will have a specific TYPE of unit, 1BR, 2BR/cabin, villa, townhome-- whatever, but the location may be assigned at check-in or have to change because of maintenance issues, etc. even if a specific unit number was assigned. They will do their best to give you the most satisfactory equivalent unit they can.

Last year I donated a week that was expiring to a non-profit organization for their fundraiser. Then I got a guest certificate in the winner's name. I didn't think this was wrong. Are you saying that it is?

No, this was not wrong. You can give your exchanged week away ... you just can't make a profit by doing so. You can request only the cost of the exchange fee and guest certificate fee from the recipient in doing so.

joanp60 wrote:

Last year I donated a week that was expiring to a non-profit organization for their fundraiser. Then I got a guest certificate in the winner's name. I didn't think this was wrong. Are you saying that it is?

daddyd wrote:

Thanks for this very valuable info. But I was kinda hoping that somebody would share some personal experience doing this, specifically like just how they went ahead and confirmed that the unit was ok to rent. Hate to sound so skeptical but I kinda assumed that the "owner" would tell me that it was! If I call the property, can they confirm that the supposed owner is, actually, the owner of the week and therefore permitted to rent it to me?

I can't speak for how all other resorts or resort groups do this, but Fairfield/Wyndham shows reservations I have made on its website. When there is a rush, I have copied this onto an e-mail to the prospective renter. It will show the reservation in my name. If there is time, I mail them a photocopy or the original confirmation. When payment is received, the confirmation in their name is sent to them. This change also shows up on the website so I can, in a rush, confirm that it has been changed to the new name and copy that by e-mail. (It can take more than a week to get the paper confirmation.)

Whoever you rent from will probably have some such confirmation from the resort or resort group. If the week is actually an II or RCI exchange guest confirmation, it will clearly say so.

Some resort groups charge the owner for a guest confirmation. Some do not. This in itself is no indication that an exchange company is or isn't involved.

Please realize that the owner does not necessarily own a particular week at a particular place if he is not a fixed week owner. That is why so many ads on Redweeks seem to be offering any time this year. They don't own the whole year but they have paid dearly for the right to request a certain amount of time and space in a certain resort or resort group. ( If Redweeks show specific dates and days, you are dealing with a reservation that is already confirmed and only has to have the name changed.)

Vacationers need to make their request as far in advance as possible so that the owner can nail down an actual reservation for them. They need to give full information so that valuable time is not lost determining who will be coming, what room options would be acceptable, what price or price range is agreeable, full name, address, and phone. This will give the owner the best guide when selecting among available units without dithering back and forth-- only to learn that the space you wanted is now gone .

If you are concerned about the quality of the resort being offered, you can usually look it up in the RCI,II, or aother resort directory. Redweeks Rentals also has pictures and information. (Of course one person may love and another may hate the very same resort!)

As you can see from the above, I tend to over-explain things to prospective renters. It drives me nuts when they can't seem to spare time to respond with a complete sentence!

Mary D

jayjay wrote:

From Redweek's help section:

Renting a Timeshare Directly From an Owner RedWeek.com works in a for-sale-by-owner fashion, allowing you to connect with timeshare owners directly to rent condo-style accommodations without middle-man markup (and no timeshare sales tours whatsoever). Here are some tips on making the process work for you:

Quick Tips: If you are unable to connect with the owner to get the week you want, just let us know and we would be happy to help you find an alternative or refund your membership fee. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Always make sure you know who you are dealing with and take steps to ensure a safe, secure transaction. If you receive excuses or resistance as to why an owner or broker will not comply with these security measures, or feel uncomfortable dealing with the person in any way, do not send payment and report your concerns to us immediately. Find a timeshare resort Search or browse through locations to find timeshare resorts that interest you. On each resort page, you can view all timeshare rental postings currently available.

Contact timeshare owners When you find a rental offer that interests you on a resort page, click "view this posting" to see more. If you are not already a RedWeek.com member, you will be asked to upgrade your account in order to view full details and make contact. This membership starts as low as $9.99 and gives you access to all resort reviews, the vacation want ad section (RedWishes), and e-mailing other owners.

Finalize your rental and enjoy! In order to give you the lowest prices on timeshare rentals, RedWeek.com does not control the transaction. You and the owner are free to work out whatever terms you both feel comfortable with. But, don't worry, we won't leave you in the dark. Here are some suggestions that you and the owner can discuss:

Vacation Rental Escrow Service

Use this unique vacation escrow service to bring a secure third-party into your transaction. First American Title will handle the collection and transfer of rental funds to ensure both parties' interests are protected.

Privately Managed Transaction

Coordinate your rental transaction directly with another RedWeek.com member, taking your own security precautions.

I belong to a Yahoo Timeshare group and got an email that a guy had 200K points for rent @ 6.50 per K. - to be used by 12/31/07. Tonight there was another email that said the points had been rented. How can he get that much for renting when it is hard to get anything out of selling your points or Timeshare?

jennie stanleyf5

davide81 wrote:

Hi Jennie,

I took your advice and called RCI about the two banked weeks and the possibility to pay for an extension like you said. They told me no dice that they do not offer that and I was out of luck, needless to say I might be done with them. In the meantime if I loose those weeks, I take that as a learning experience. I was also told that my banked weeks were "blue week" points so my options were limited anyway. With the points which I currently have which are about 700,000 for the year thru Wyndham Resorts. I cannot use all of them and will like to rent what I cannot use. I need advice on the steps to follow if I do this myself.

For instance I am assuming the first step will be to call Wyndham, reserve the weeks I do not need and then place the ads.

How do you deal with paperwork in terms of contracts, security deposits(in the event of damage or whatever else).

Since you are dealing with someone you do not know (renter), how do you handle the transfer of name to this person for when the person goes to check in at the resort.

Please help, I am very "green" at this and looking forward to the challenge.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi, I "hear your pain" but you cannot expect to get all the information you are requesting on a forum like this. If you bought your first car, you could not expect to learn how to drive it by posting a question on a forum. You would first have to learn a lot of general info about driving, and then read the owners manual for your specific car. The same is true of timeshares.

A lot of information was given to you in writing when you made the Wyndham purchase. (It would have been better if you had taken the time to study the program and make sure it would work for you, before purchasing). But that's in the past.

At this point in time you need to read all the written material and figure out what you can and cannot do with the points you own. I'm sure they have an official web site too, hopefully with a detailed FAQ (frequently asked questions) section. After you figure out the basics of the program, write down any questions you still have and call Customer Service to clarify the issues. Find out the exact procedure for reserving weeks. Usually the earlier you make the request, the better your chances are of obtaining what you want. Find out what the procedure is for allowing someone else to use your week. Do they allow rentals? How do you place another person's name on a reservation? Can you change a reservation? Is there a fee involved? Can you carry unused points forward to the next year? Can you borrow or purchase extra points to accomplish a desired reservation? If you are unable to use all of your points in a given year, can they be converted into a week to be deposited with RCI or II? Will you receive an '"internal preference" when using said week to search for future exchanges. These are but a few of the numerous issues points owners deal with. It's a challenge to learn it all. The good news is that since a lot of owners never take the time to do so, if you do learn it you will have less competition when you are trying to accomplish highly desirable trades.

There are so many "points" systems out there. Wyndham systems (formerly Cendant), include Equivest, Fairfield, Pahio, Trendwest, and Worldmark. Each has its own rules and differences. There is a free Forum for discussion of Points Programs at the Timeshare Users Group www.tug2.net. You should spend a lot of time there reading all the questions and answers posted by owners.

And also read all the info here at Redweek about rental of timeshares. The info is scattered all over throughout the various forums. It is more involved than most people would suspect.

I would like to assume that you purchased all those Wyndham points with the expectation of using them for your own vacation needs. That's really the only reason people should buy any timeshare product. Renting timeshares takes time, energy, and knowledge. It rarely yields much, if any, financial profit. It is best done by people who bought and used their timeshares for the traditional reasons but are not able to do so for a year or two due to some change in their personal circumstances. If the change is permanent, it is usually better to sell the timeshare.

I hope you do not feel that I am being critical. It's just that you need to use your own time and resources to learn as much as possible about what you have bought and how to derive the best possible benefits from it.

P.S. Depending upon which Wyndham product you own, there may be a free Yahoo! group for it. Some are more active than others. If you happen to own Fairfield points (which is now a Wyndham product), there is an excellent Yahoo group. Apply to join it. It's a free and simple process. Then read all the "files" on the left hand corner of the home page before diving in to ask questions. The members of the group can be a little harsh if you haven't first done some homework.

If the Wyndham points you own are from Trendwest or Equivest, there are Yahoo groups for that too.

Good luck and try to report back here if you have found a good source of info that other "newbies" could benefit from.

Dear Jennie,

Yup, when all else fails, read the directions!

If you are Fairfield/Wyndham, this would mean the current "Member's Directory". Since you have 700,000 points, you are a Gold VIP. Pay special attention to the benefits shown on p. 277. Among other perks is the right to FREE guest confirmations. You can reserve in your own name and ask for the change later if you rent out the week or you can put the confirmation into someone else's name initially if you know them. Just call in and make the request.

For a good Fairshare Plus chart, see pp. 330-331. It will give you more ideas on how you might use your points. One option to use them pleasantly is cruising paid for with 100% points! You can definitely bank weeks with your exchange company and you can also extend the life of your points with Fairfield/Wyndham by putting them into their Points Credit Pool (p.12), but these options only put off use till later.

Look at your calendar and start blocking out time periods when you are free. Then start requesting locations you've always wanted to see as far ahead as possible. Actually, almost anyplace can be interesting for one week!

Mary D

dennisa wrote:

Don't waste your time with a third party vacation rental outfit such as Century 21 ... stick with Redweek, and deal directly with the owners ---

What I have found with third party outfits is they want a "one time" up front fee -- and then you will never hear from them again.

I have rented our Grand Mayan weeks on Redweek for the past 5 years. I treat all renters with the upmost care, and do my best to insure they will have a fantastic vacation.

Dennis Atkinson

Dennis, it is encouraging to hear that you are happy with RedWeek as I am a new timeshare owner and renter. I also own at the Grand Mayan and am very happy and proud that my wife and I purchased from such a great resort. When I searched the listed weeks in Playa Del Carmen area through RedWeek, I was surprised to see so many listings. Have you had any trouble getting rid of your weeks in the past and how long have you waited on an average? I guess the key is how much to ask for the week, as the prices I see vary quite a bit. From what I have read so far, I will list my weeks soon with RedWeek.

christines79 wrote:

jayjay wrote:

From Redweek's help section:

Renting a Timeshare Directly From an Owner RedWeek.com works in a for-sale-by-owner fashion, allowing you to connect with timeshare owners directly to rent condo-style accommodations without middle-man markup (and no timeshare sales tours whatsoever). Here are some tips on making the process work for you:

Quick Tips: If you are unable to connect with the owner to get the week you want, just let us know and we would be happy to help you find an alternative or refund your membership fee. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Always make sure you know who you are dealing with and take steps to ensure a safe, secure transaction. If you receive excuses or resistance as to why an owner or broker will not comply with these security measures, or feel uncomfortable dealing with the person in any way, do not send payment and report your concerns to us immediately. Find a timeshare resort Search or browse through locations to find timeshare resorts that interest you. On each resort page, you can view all timeshare rental postings currently available.

Contact timeshare owners When you find a rental offer that interests you on a resort page, click "view this posting" to see more. If you are not already a RedWeek.com member, you will be asked to upgrade your account in order to view full details and make contact. This membership starts as low as $9.99 and gives you access to all resort reviews, the vacation want ad section (RedWishes), and e-mailing other owners.

Finalize your rental and enjoy! In order to give you the lowest prices on timeshare rentals, RedWeek.com does not control the transaction. You and the owner are free to work out whatever terms you both feel comfortable with. But, don't worry, we won't leave you in the dark. Here are some suggestions that you and the owner can discuss:

Vacation Rental Escrow Service

Use this unique vacation escrow service to bring a secure third-party into your transaction. First American Title will handle the collection and transfer of rental funds to ensure both parties' interests are protected.

Privately Managed Transaction

Coordinate your rental transaction directly with another RedWeek.com member, taking your own security precautions.

I belong to a Yahoo Timeshare group and got an email that a guy had 200K points for rent @ 6.50 per K. - to be used by 12/31/07. Tonight there was another email that said the points had been rented. How can he get that much for renting when it is hard to get anything out of selling your points or Timeshare?

Actually, renting out points for the year seems to be a lot easier than selling them! There is a limited committment involved and not a lot of legal hocus pocus. I don't know whether $6.50 per thousand points is good or not. That depends on which resort's points you mean. Fairfield points? Bluegreen? Other? Don't think you can rent out RCI Points. Different resort groups which use "points" are like different countries with their own currencies. $6.50 per K is high for Fairfield points but low for Bluegreen points. Bluegreen requires fewer of their points to reserve the same size unit, but of course, those points cost more per thousand.

The points give you access to two different groups of resorts. They are not interchangable.

tuann6 wrote:

I've never rented a timeshare, but heard lots of good things about it. What are the steps?

You can advertise on this site or on loads of forums and free ad sites. MRI Overseas Rentals allows free advertising for timshare accommodation. eBay is another good way to advertise your timeshare for rental. Make sure you are entitled to rent your week(s) out in the first place.

tuann6 wrote:

I've never rented a timeshare, but heard lots of good things about it. What are the steps?

Look for jennie's posts here concerning renting timeshares. She has it down to a science as she's rented many of her own over the years.

Most importantly, always request a rental agreement with all pertinent info (check-in/out date, # bedrooms, # bathrooms, rental fee etc) signed by both renter and owner.

And last but not least, make sure your rental is owned by the person advertising, as it's against exchange company rules to rent an exchange.

I am an owner. How do I sell my weeks.

So, only those upgraded members of redweek can view full description of the rentals I posted despite me paying for membership and for the posts? I thought this was similar to e-bay but was hoping those looking for units may come here as opposed to e-bay.

There's lots of good info on selling weeks in this forum (Buying, Selling, and Renting). Do a little reading and research in this forum and you'll get all the info you need to put your timeshare weeks up for sale.

kinga3 wrote:

I am an owner. How do I sell my weeks.

kinga3 wrote:

I am an owner. How do I sell my weeks.

There are instructions on how to post your timeshare for sale at http://www.redweek.com/help/sale_process/owner

Also, please feel free to ask here or read many of the earlier posts on our forums.

Thanks, Marty

johng436 wrote:

So, only those upgraded members of redweek can view full description of the rentals I posted despite me paying for membership and for the posts? I thought this was similar to e-bay but was hoping those looking for units may come here as opposed to e-bay.

Hi John,

Basic members can view much of the posting information except what is in the "Details" area. That area may have a lot of information or none depending on what the owner choses to add. The owner can add their phone number and or email address which we welcome them to do but only paid members would be able to see that information.

Thanks, Marty

marty8084 wrote:

johng436 wrote:

So, only those upgraded members of redweek can view full description of the rentals I posted despite me paying for membership and for the posts? I thought this was similar to e-bay but was hoping those looking for units may come here as opposed to e-bay.

Hi John,

Basic members can view much of the posting information except what is in the "Details" area. That area may have a lot of information or none depending on what the owner choses to add. The owner can add their phone number and or email address which we welcome them to do but only paid members would be able to see that information.

Thanks, Marty

Isn't all the contact information in the "Details"? In other words. Isn't posting useless unless prospective renters/buyers pay extra to see whether the posting might (or might not) be appropriate for the looker's needs?

Has this always been the case with Redweek or is this a new hurdle to jump?

MD

adahiscout wrote:

marty8084 wrote:

johng436 wrote:

So, only those upgraded members of redweek can view full description of the rentals I posted despite me paying for membership and for the posts? I thought this was similar to e-bay but was hoping those looking for units may come here as opposed to e-bay.

Hi John,

Basic members can view much of the posting information except what is in the "Details" area. That area may have a lot of information or none depending on what the owner choses to add. The owner can add their phone number and or email address which we welcome them to do but only paid members would be able to see that information.

Thanks, Marty

Isn't all the contact information in the "Details"? In other words. Isn't posting useless unless prospective renters/buyers pay extra to see whether the posting might (or might not) be appropriate for the looker's needs?

Has this always been the case with Redweek or is this a new hurdle to jump?

MD

To view any of the individual postings you need to be at least a free guest which means that you need to register on our website.

As someone with the free guest they can see the following:

Price: Week: Maintenance Fee: Ownership: Use: Owner:

Unit: Smoking: Pets: Kitchen: Sleeps: Bedrooms: Beds: Bathrooms:

Amenities:

They just can't see what's in the "Details" area of the posting without becoming a paid member.

To my knowledge, this is the way it's always been set up.

Thanks, Marty

marty8084 wrote:

adahiscout wrote:

marty8084 wrote:

johng436 wrote:

So, only those upgraded members of redweek can view full description of the rentals I posted despite me paying for membership and for the posts? I thought this was similar to e-bay but was hoping those looking for units may come here as opposed to e-bay.

Hi John,

Basic members can view much of the posting information except what is in the "Details" area. That area may have a lot of information or none depending on what the owner choses to add. The owner can add their phone number and or email address which we welcome them to do but only paid members would be able to see that information.

Thanks, Marty

Isn't all the contact information in the "Details"? In other words. Isn't posting useless unless prospective renters/buyers pay extra to see whether the posting might (or might not) be appropriate for the looker's needs?

Has this always been the case with Redweek or is this a new hurdle to jump?

MD

To view any of the individual postings you need to be at least a free guest which means that you need to register on our website.

As someone with the free guest they can see the following:

Price: Week: Maintenance Fee: Ownership: Use: Owner:

Unit: Smoking: Pets: Kitchen: Sleeps: Bedrooms: Beds: Bathrooms:

Amenities:

They just can't see what's in the "Details" area of the posting without becoming a paid member.

To my knowledge, this is the way it's always been set up.

Thanks, Marty

Well, I set up a guest account to see exactly what they would see. A guest can not see reviews by those who have visited the resort and, most important,they cannot contact the owner to make a rental or purchase offer. Major "detail".

I suppose this discourages lots of "less that serious" contacts. Unfortunately, it probably also chases away those who don't like being asked to pay to inquire. Guess I always thought it was only the owners who paid.

MD