How Much Do Timeshare Maintenance Fees Cost?
The average annual maintenance fee is $1,000
. But the surprise comes when you find out the fees go up every year, often much faster than the normal inflation rate.
The average cost of a timeshare is $22,942 per interval, according to 2019 data from the American Resort Development Association (ARDA). Annual maintenance runs
$1,000, on average
, but can vary based on the size of the timeshare, ARDA reports.
If you stop paying your timeshare maintenance fees,
you will likely default on your ownership
. This not only hurts the resort, but it hurts you and your credit. Like a home going into foreclosure, the resort takes the ownership back and it will stay on your credit report.
The idea of timeshares is to pay a one-time fee for 1 week at a resort or hotel every year
. This means you would be owning your vacation spot, instead of renting it, which will guarantee your stay and help you save on future trips. Other reasons you may be tempted to buy timeshares are the amenities and space.
Some people just stop paying on their timeshares. If you do walk away,
don’t be surprised to see a big hit to your credit score and to start getting regular calls from collection agencies
. You might regret your purchase, but you did sign a legally binding contract.
- Ownership Type (deeded vs. right to use)
- Usage Type (fixed or floating week, points)
- Usage Frequency (annual, biennial, etc.)
- Week/Season (high vs. low demand)
- Home Resort and Location.
- Points Allocation.
- Unit Type and Size.
- Brand and/or Exchange Affiliation.
If you purchase weeks of a timeshare in the resale market and you’re good at renting it out, you can pay off your original cost in six years, with a gross return of 6 to 12 percent annually after paying off the properties, says Richard Hayman of Hayman Consulting Group in Potomac, Maryland.
In short,
yes, you can refuse to inherit a timeshare
. While the laws for rejecting an inherited timeshare can vary from state to state, the actual process will generally be the same and is known as “Renunciation of Property.”
- Step 1: Revisit Your Contract. To start with, dig your original contract—and any other paperwork about the timeshare—out of your files to see exactly what you signed way back when. …
- Step 2: Research Your Timeshare’s Value. …
- Step 3: Try to Sell Your Timeshare. …
- Step 4: Contact a Timeshare Exit Company.
Can you sell your timeshare back to the resort?
Yes, under certain circumstances
. However, most of the timeshare community is on their own if they want a way out. Your last resort options are selling it yourself or receiving help from a trusted timeshare cancellation company.
If a repayment plan isn’t negotiated, the timeshare company might go the route of taking you to court for breach of contract to get a judgment against you and place a lien against the property. Ultimately, they will foreclose on the property.
All timeshare resorts charge share owners annual fees for maintenance, utilities and taxes
. Annual fees in the $300 to $400 range are typical, although larger shares or peak-season shares can have higher annual fees, often more than $1,000 every year. These fees are due whether the share owner uses the property or not.
It is not possible to live in a single unit full time
as most timeshares have rules about how long the condo can be stayed in annually. The rules vary for timeshare companies, but in general none of them will allow someone to move in and stay indefinitely.
One of the biggest problems with timeshares is that
there typically is no easy exit
. Those annual fees and special assessments are due as long as you own the timeshare. You may not be able to find a buyer if money is tight or you’re no longer able to use it.
- Call the developer.
- Rent it out.
- Sell it on the resale market (expect to take a hit).
- Gift it to a friend, family member or stranger.
- Stop your payments (but expect consequences).
- Avoid scams.
IT IS NOT SIMPLE, OR EASY TO SELL A TIMESHARE
REGARDLESS OF WHAT SOME PEOPLE WILL TELL YOU (usually right before they ask for your credit card information) but it can be done if you take the time to research the resale market and know ahead of time how to spot and avoid the scams!
- Act Quickly. …
- Draw Up a Document Renouncing the Timeshare. …
- Send Copies of Your Renunciation via Certified Mail to Interested Parties. …
- File a Copy of the Renunciation in Probate Court.
Timeshares are not an investment, so you likely won’t get much for your timeshare. Timeshares rarely appreciate in value. But if you want to say goodbye to maintenance fees and annual dues forever, especially if you are no longer using your ownership,
selling is one of the best ways to do so
.
No, the timeshare has no value
, because you don’t own anything in the normal sense of the word. It’s not like your regular home, which likely has some equity built up. In fact, a timeshare goes down in value from the moment you sign the contract.
Why Do Timeshare Resales Cost So Much Less? When developers and resorts sell timeshares,
they must take their marketing costs into consideration
. Businesses must recoup all those advertising costs, seminars, demonstrations, and other marketing methods.
A frequently asked question by timeshare owners is, “can I rent out my timeshare?” The answer is generally yes.
Most timeshare owners will be able to safely rent out their weeks or points by using a marketplace such as Timeshares Only
.
One advantage of investing in timeshares is that you can do it without much money. But of course timeshares make the most money for the initial developer. They get to take a little apartment or condo that is worth perhaps $140,000 and sell the use of it for
as much as $7,000 for each week of the year
.
If you don’t use your timeshare in a given year,
you have the option of letting someone else use the unit
. You can simply give them the usage, or rent out the unit.
In general, though, if you don’t pay the fees and assessments on a right-to-use timeshare,
the HOA may sue you for a money judgment or “repossess” your right to use the timeshare
. A repossession is a different legal process than a foreclosure.
Remember,
the company that sells you the timeshare usually isn’t the holding company or the company that owns the properties
. This is done so that it limits any responsibility the main business has once you sign the agreement and so that it is more difficult to break the agreement later on.
When set up properly, a timeshare allows a buyer to purchase a fraction of a property, enjoy it periodically and even
pass it on to children in many cases
.