Introduction
After years of timeshare ownership, many owners reach a point where they want more flexibility with their fixed or floating weeks. Whether you want to explore new resorts, reduce maintenance fees, or stop feeling “locked in” to specific travel times, renting or exchanging owned weeks can help regain some control. This guide will walk through the key differences between renting and exchanging weeks, important costs and considerations, and tips to maximize rental income or trading potential for new trades.
Choosing Between Renting or Exchanging Your Week
Renting out owned timeshare weeks and depositing for exchange trades through RCI, II or other exchange networks have very different procedures, costs, and policies.
When evaluating potential rental income versus exchange options, owners should consider variables like seasonal demand, trading power, and real-world exchange availability that isn't always guaranteed.
Already a timeshare owner? Please take this brief survey for a chance to win a prize from HelloVacay. Next drawing is March 15, 2024 at Noon PDT.
Rental Rates vs. Exchange Fees
Rented weeks can potentially generate enough rental income to offset annual maintenance fees or even profit after covering exchange company membership and transaction fees. However, the process of listing weeks, marketing properties, screening renters and managing reservations does involve much more hands-on effort compared to depositing for trades.
Many long-time owners also feel overburdened by annual timeshare costs that can include guest certificate fees, rising maintenance fees, and exchange membership costs. Renting provides definite income at the front-end to start offsetting some of the guaranteed outflows.
Comparing Demand and Trading Power
For owned weeks in high-demand vacation areas during peak seasons, rental rates may easily beat exchange options. However, for shoulder weeks or resorts with less rental demand, a deposit first strategy can sometimes secure preferable trades up in unit size, location or dates. Consulting published demand charts and exchange power listings can provide guidance but every situation has many variables.
Factor In Availability Reality
No exchange system has unlimited inventory. Weeks deposited by owners intending to trade later face availability challenges when competing against cash renters reserving prime weeks at top resorts. Similarly, even depositing traditionally high-value traders does not guarantee access to the most popular resorts and weeks through exchange requests.
Pricing Timeshare Rentals
When renting owned weeks on sites like Airbnb, VRBO, or Redweek, aim to price competitively based on seasonal rates for similar quality units in your region. Some other pricing factors for timeshare rentals include:
- Desirable views like oceanfront or upgrades like recently remodeled units
- Features like multiple bedrooms for larger groups/families
- Local events or peak travel seasons that influence supply and demand
- Setting prices too high can mean weeks sit vacant rather than generating any rental income.
When marketed effectively at reasonable rates for the location and season, timeshare rentals stand a high chance of getting booked.
Marketing Weeks for Rent
Effective platforms for creating and promoting timeshare rental listings include:
- Airbnb – Reaches general leisure and family travelers
- VRBO/HomeAway – Popular with US vacationers
- Redweek – Active timeshare renters review listings here
- Craigslist – Budget-focused local site with high traffic
- Social media groups related to specific resorts/regions
When creating listings, highlight amenities, recent upgrades, proximity to local attractions, and anything else that showcases the property. Appeal to travelers with great photos of the unit, resort grounds, and surrounding views.
Depositing Weeks with Exchange Companies
The major timeshare exchange networks worldwide remain RCI and Interval International (II). Other companies like Dial an Exchange (DAE) or small independent exchange clubs also provide options with variations on membership rules, fees, and exchange procedures.
Some key tips for depositing weeks with any exchange company:
- Learn the seasonal demand charts. Identify which weeks at your home resort historically see high/low demand from exchangers.
- Understand trading power systems. Each company uses different formulas to assign “value” to weeks for trading. High-demand weeks often translate to more exchange buying power.
- Bank weeks at least 6-12 months ahead when possible. Early deposits tend to access the widest exchange availability for requesting future trades.
Requesting Exchanges
Once deposited weeks pass the waiting period and clear for trading within the exchange system, you can start seeking future getaway trades.
To maximize chances of securing popular resorts or peak weeks, follow this approach:
- Make ongoing search requests for desired destinations 12-18 months out. Adjust if more last-minute flexible. Update preferences if dates, resorts change over time.
- Leverage trading power by pulling larger units (2BR trades for 1BR deposits), premium resorts, or peak holiday weeks when exchange matches allow.
Comparing Exchange Offers
As exchange matches come in, scrutinize all specifics before confirming the week:
- Carefully evaluate resort ratings, unit size, bed configuration, recent guest feedback versus original request.
- Verify matched check-in date, length of stay, and travel window dates align with your ideal plans and flexibility.
- Check trading power amounts used by the exchange offer and account balance remaining for future requests.
Managing Guests Remotely
For all rental and exchange guests not checking in person, provide complete check-in instructions in advance regarding resort access, unit number, key location if locks aren't electronic, and all onsite amenity details (pool towels, wifi access code, parking passes, etc).
Also share local contact details like a resort manager, trusted housekeeper, or handyman service who could respond quickly for remote renters/exchangers that experience maintenance issues like appliance repair needs or lock outs if you won't be on location.
Review all cancellation policies in rental agreements or exchange confirmations. Force majeure acts outside travelers' control may require flexible rebooking options.
Paying Maintenance Fees vs Renting
A combination of special assessments and gradual maintenance fee hikes over the decades have many timeshare owners now paying over double (or more) in annual costs relative to past purchase pricing and obligations. However, average nightly rental rates even in older resorts rarely rise proportionately.
For example, an oceanfront top season week at Beach Resort may now pay $1200+ in yearly fees but still commonly rent in the $200-$300/night range. At less than a week's stay to offset 12 months of committed costs, renting additional nights via discounts or current owner rates then banking remaining portions of owned weeks into future travel funds represents an advantage over obligatory ownership outflows in properties bought mainly for personal vacation use.
Pro Tips to Maximize Rental & Exchange Utilization
A few key ways experienced owners maximize timeshare utilization with rentals and exchanges:
Block High-Demand Own-Use Weeks: Prevent accidentally renting or depositing prime weeks reserved for personal trips. These highest revenue rental weeks rarely exchange well anyway.
Rent Peak Demand, Deposit Off-Peak: For dual strategy, rent owned weeks when seasonal rates peak, deposit weaker traders with lower rental potential for trades back into future prime weeks at other resorts.
Get Ongoing Value Assessments
Frequently check both rental rates and exchange power ratings over time. As resort or location demand changes, alter rental pricing or shift utilization focus between renting and exchanging as needed.
Conclusion & Next Steps
In the timeshare world, dollars in hand remain the most flexible and powerful asset compared to fixed obligation payments or annually committed points and weeks. Effective utilization of rentals, resale markets, discounts, and creative exchange leveraging now offer better vacation access and value over obligatory ownership.
HelloVacay has maintained a BBB A+ rating over the last 11 years. Allow us to rent your timeshare out for you!
We charge 35% of the rental revenue generated and have paid out tens of millions of dollars in rental payments to our owner clients over the years.
0 Comments