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How to Rent a Timeshare and Not Own a Timeshare

Over time, many timeshare owners start to realize that there’s a lot of timeshare inventory out there that’s being rented out to the general public.  Sites like Redweek and Koala (to name a couple) are becoming more and more popular and are giving people the opportunity to experience a wide variety of vacation options without the long-term commitment involved with timeshare ownership. 

Let’s dive in and take a look at the why and how of timeshare rentals.  First off, the “Why”-

Why Are Timeshare Locations Available for Rent to the General Public? 

At first, this seems almost unfair to faithful timeshare owners, who signed on the dotted line for a long-term commitment at their dream resort. It sort of flies in the face of the concept of an “exclusive vacation destination, only available to a select group of owners.” On top of that, the rental market is often cheaper. Casual vacationers can jump on Redweek and sometimes be able to grab a primo location at a lower per-night cost than someone who actually owns the resort. So why is this a thing? A couple of things are coming in to play here:

1.    The bottom line is that developers sometimes have unsold inventory at a particular resort. In order to protect their profits (their bottom line, as it were), they’ll often make this excess inventory available to the public in order to minimize the losses they may take by having rooms stay empty. And to make this inventory attractive and increase the odds of renting it out, they’ll often offer this excess inventory at cut rates.

2.    Another possibility (especially on sites like Redweek and Koala) is that the timeshare owners themselves are looking for a way to recoup at least some of the cost of their timeshare, and have listed them for rent on these open marketplaces.

In either scenario, it’s a win for those interested in visiting one of these great resorts.  (And we guess it is actually unfair to the original owners, as they’re being undercut by developers in the first case, and in competition with other timeshare owners in the second.)

Both of these scenarios can also make it difficult for owners to book “their” slots during the peak seasons. 

So, How Does It Work? 

This is actually the simple part, and we’ve kind of already tipped our hand by mentioning the sites above.  Using one of our examples, Redweek’s site is remarkably easy to navigate. Right on their home page, you can simply enter the destination, resort name, or brand (Wyndham, Bluegreen, Diamond, etc.) and start browsing great locations:

We like tropical spots, so for example, entering Hawaii in the search bar yields results that look like this:

From there, simply select a resort, pick the dates for your vacation, and off you go. (Oh yeah, sign up for the site, provide your personal information, etc. – just make sure you opt out of any promotional emails- unless you like that sort of thing lol!)

Now, we’re not saying timeshare ownership is a bad thing – lots of people are very happy with their timeshares, visit them as often as they can, and feel like they’re getting great value.

Others like more flexibility, and don’t want the potential encumbrance of owning a timeshare. The rental option may be better for them.

But if you’re in another category, and are a timeshare owner that’s unhappy with their current situation, it may be time to begin exploring your options, up to and including the cancellation of your timeshare agreement.

There are companies in business that help timeshare owners get out of their contracts and start fresh with their vacation plans. While there are a number of great choices out there, the best firm in the business is the original timeshare cancellation company, Timeshare Legal.

Timeshare Legal was founded by Christian Highlander in 2009 and has helped thousands of clients cancel timeshare contracts totaling over half a billion dollars to date. Our specialists will work with you to determine your eligibility for a guaranteed timeshare cancellation, permanently cancel your timeshare, and provide you with the financial freedom you’ve been waiting for. Don’t just take our word for it; take a look at some of our client testimonials. Above all, the team at Timeshare Legal can’t wait to release you from your timeshare debt so that you can better enjoy your life. Contact us today.