buying vs renting

I'm new to timeshares, my biggest reservation to buying is would I be better off renting a timeshare each year, not have to worry about special assesments and other issues a TS owner has. This way I could always switch weeks and resorts without paying any fees?????

Hi and welcome to TUG!

This is a difficult question to answer, because it depends on where you want to go, your budget, and whether or not you would enjoy learning the strategies and spending the time to get the most out of a timeshare.

Many of us here on TUG enjoy getting the most value out of our timeshares and spend a lot of time on it, but that's not for everyone. It is certainly easier to rent from a timeshare owner and then not worry about it the rest of the year.

How much do you usually budget for a week's accommodations?
Where do you like to vacation?
Can you make firm plans 12 mos. in advance?
Are you organized and do you enjoy planning?

Rent vs Own

We own quite a few timeshares, and we've only seen one or two for rent for less than our maintenance fees, and that is only in some years. Those are usually distressed last minute rentals.

There are exceptions if you don't consider location in the resort, or time of year, or size of unit. A one bedroom with a bad view or away from the beach will often rent for less than a one bedroom beach front unit's maintenance fee. An off season week will often rent for less than the maintenance fee. It's very difficult to find a Christmas week rental for less than maintenance fees, at least at the resorts we own.

If you know in advance that need to stay a specific week, it's often much easier to book a floating week with your resort, or trade for the correct week, vs even finding a rental for that specific week, at least at a good price.

I don't think you'll ever find a Vail ski week rental for less than $550, which is the maintenance fee for one of our resorts in Colorado. We have more timeshares than we can use, and try to rent a few of them. Sometimes we can't find a renter. We usually do rent for more than our fees, if that is any indication. We try to limit our losses by using the ones we don't rent or bank, even if only for a 3 or 4 day weekend.

Renting does let you decide where you want to go, and how much you want to spend, each time you travel. If there is availability, you can decide to pay more for a better unit, week, or location. If you are free to travel at any time and you are willing to get the best deal regardless of quality, you can keep an eye out for cheap rentals, check airline prices (if needed), and have wonderful vacations on a budget.