Anyone having luck renting timeshares this summer?

[chapjim]

What a great post @jules54 ! You had me until the 2 hours per day yikes....do you mind sharing how many properties you have in your rental portfolio to necessitate the 2 hours a day?

I don't find two hours/day remarkable at all. I don't keep a timesheet (maybe I should!) but I think twenty hours per week would be a minimum. More than that during busy times (there haven't been any since March) and more yet around tax time,

Does hanging out on TUG count as direct labor? Make it thirty hours/week then!

 

[jules54]

Colorado Kid I’m retired and I don’t do it all at once In the day. 2 hrs might be a but high. I search with my Wyndham points several times per day. It funny how one minute there is nothing and the next there it is. I used 1/2 of my 1,621,000 pts before the end of Feb. this year. New Orleans had alot going on there besides Mardi Gras. I read Tug a lot so that takes time to read the reviews and posts about different resorts. If I’m the one traveling with friends and I check Interval and RCI daily. I have 2 different Interval accounts. We travel a lot for pleasure. I own several contracts 11 at Sunset Fishermen resort and Spa in Playa Del Carmen to get high season reservations. Which we winter there now for 2 months so a bunch of those reservations go to us. I usually end up buying other folks weeks to fill my clients needs. For Jan,Feb,Mar 2021 I have 19 weeks reserved. Most of those go to previous renters. Don’t know how it will go with COVID-19 Everyone that contacts me I tell them to wait till Nov to put money down.
Its very usual for me to go a week without someone either emailing or texting me wanting something. If you get one client and make them happy with price and location they tell their friends and family. I work with other Wyndham VIP owners and if they can do it cheaper because of better points discount or they hv guest confirmation they hvnt used yet as long as they pay for their fees and make a bit I can also make a bit by facilitating the rental. I rarely book any reservation further out than 60 days. I could pay for my fees, but I like to make more than that so I need the points discounts.
i have one or two cities that I’m kind of an expert with. Nope I’m not saying which ones they are lol. I really like to have stayed everywhere I rent out, I don’t want my clients getting any surprises. I have a nice network of client and of other owners to draw inventory from. Sometimes you can wrk on a rental for a client a long time giving them many options and they don’t rent. Have to take the good with the bad. I’ve been told dozens of times how easy I am to work with so it must be true lol.
This little hobby has been developed over many years. I hv had people PM me and ask me how to do rentals, I usually tell them to read the TUG pages. I also tell them I really don’t need the competition. So they have to figure it out just like I did. This is unlike me to share all this info. I started my first post on this thread in Steamboat Springs, CO and I’m now finishing in Breckenridge. We r on a motorcycle I guess that is a hobby also, but bike trips usually resolve around timeshare. Hubby drives I ride on back so I don’t hv the stress of driving that must have made me feel a bit more forthcoming.
In closing if you can’t imagine how much I pay in maintenance fees it’s over $29,000 per year Which is alot.

 

[chapjim]

I have a different rental question. Has anyone actually consummated a transaction through Koala?

I have over a dozen current listings -- three in the Orlando area, one in San Francisco, the rest east coast of Florida. In the last month or so, I've probably listed twenty weeks total and have not had a nibble. It's free to list and posting takes very little time but I'd like to see some indication that it's worth even that minimal effort.

 

[jules54]

Oh I forgot one very important thing. You have to be customer friendly no matter what the say or if they offer you a lesser price.
You can’t be a DICK. Not on the phone and not in emails or texting.

 

[chapjim]

Colorado Kid I’m retired and I don’t do it all at once In the day. 2 hrs might be a but high. I search with my Wyndham points several times per day. It funny how one minute there is nothing and the next there it is. I used 1/2 of my 1,621,000 pts before the end of Feb. this year. New Orleans had alot going on there besides Mardi Gras. I read Tug a lot so that takes time to read the reviews and posts about different resorts. If I’m the one traveling with friends and I check Interval and RCI daily. I have 2 different Interval accounts. We travel a lot for pleasure. I own several contracts 11 at Sunset Fishermen resort and Spa in Playa Del Carmen to get high season reservations. Which we winter there now for 2 months so a bunch of those reservations go to us. I usually end up buying other folks weeks to fill my clients needs. For Jan,Feb,Mar 2021 I have 19 weeks reserved. Most of those go to previous renters. Don’t know how it will go with COVID-19 Everyone that contacts me I tell them to wait till Nov to put money down.
Its very usual for me to go a week without someone either emailing or texting me wanting something. If you get one client and make them happy with price and location they tell their friends and family. I work with other Wyndham VIP owners and if they can do it cheaper because of better points discount or they hv guest confirmation they hvnt used yet as long as they pay for their fees and make a bit I can also make a bit by facilitating the rental. I rarely book any reservation further out than 60 days. I could pay for my fees, but I like to make more than that so I need the points discounts.
i have one or two cities that I’m kind of an expert with. Nope I’m not saying which ones they are lol. I really like to have stayed everywhere I rent out, I don’t want my clients getting any surprises. I have a nice network of client and of other owners to draw inventory from. Sometimes you can wrk on a rental for a client a long time giving them many options and they don’t rent. Have to take the good with the bad. I’ve been told dozens of times how easy I am to work with so it must be true lol.
This little hobby has been developed over many years. I hv had people PM me and ask me how to do rentals, I usually tell them to read the TUG pages. I also tell them I really don’t need the competition. So they have to figure it out just like I did. This is unlike me to share all this info. I started my first post on this thread in Steamboat Springs, CO and I’m now finishing in Breckenridge. We r on a motorcycle I guess that is a hobby also, but bike trips usually resolve around timeshare. Hubby drives I ride on back so I don’t hv the stress of driving that must have made me feel a bit more forthcoming.
In closing if you can’t imagine how much I pay in maintenance fees it’s over $29,000 per year Which is alot.

My monthly Wyndham bill is $2,763. Total maintenance fees in 2019 were $41,320.

 

[neuroDad]

I have a different rental question. Has anyone actually consummated a transaction through Koala?

I've actually done a few rentals through Koala. One was completed in August and paid out, two more with September check-in dates. The whole process is not too different from RedWeek. I think it's actually easier to use than RedWeek and the website is much better. It might take a while for their platform to really take off, but I like it.

 

[CPNY]

I've actually done a few rentals through Koala. One was completed in August and paid out, two more with September check-in dates. The whole process is not too different from RedWeek. I think it's actually easier to use than RedWeek and the website is much better. It might take a while for their platform to really take off, but I like it.

They take a huge fee though.

 

[rickandcindy23]

They take a huge fee though.

I built it in to the rental price. I hope Koala gets more popular. I have two listed for now.

 

[neuroDad]

They take a huge fee though.

For me it's about the same as RedWeek since I don't generally do super high value rentals. I might feel differently otherwise. In any case, I take the fee into account when pricing my rentals as the previous poster said.

 

[The Colorado Kid]

I have a different rental question. Has anyone actually consummated a transaction through Koala?

I have over a dozen current listings -- three in the Orlando area, one in San Francisco, the rest east coast of Florida. In the last month or so, I've probably listed twenty weeks total and have not had a nibble. It's free to list and posting takes very little time but I'd like to see some indication that it's worth even that minimal effort.

Any update on your Koala experience?

 

[SmithOp]

Any update on your Koala experience?

I have a NYE listing for Vegas, nothing yet. Jeff from Koala called and left a message, something about helping me with my listing. I can only assume they meant lower the price since their platform provides all the resort information, all I did was enter dates and price. I didn’t return the call.


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[scootr5]

I just rented two reservations for October, both at about 40% over maintenance fees.

 

[The Colorado Kid]

I just rented two reservations for October, both at about 40% over maintenance fees.

Dang @scootr5 ! Do you mind sharing the platform you used? Understand if you don't want to.

 

[The Colorado Kid]

For the first time I have Thanksgiving week listed for rent with a property in Vail...will let everyone know how that turns out. Snowfall is quirky in Fall/Early Winter in Colorado so not sure how this will turn out. We can go use it if no one rents it out.

 

[scootr5]

Dang @scootr5 ! Do you mind sharing the platform you used? Understand if you don't want to.

One on eBay (which I try to avoid due to fees), and one on Craigslist/my own website (which is my usual/preferred way of doing it).

 

[rapmarks]

I have had no luck using Craigs List, Facebook, and Tug.
I tried to do VRBO but I cannot find the terms and fees, just have to say I agree to them. Also my pictures were not in correct format.

 

[chapjim]

Any update on your Koala experience?

Yes and no. Yes, because I just had the guest confirmation sent on one reservation. No, because it was a "special order" -- Koala contacted me to book a reservation for them.

I still haven't had a nibble on any of my listings. I have thirteen of mine plus the one Koala wanted.

 

[SmithOp]

Yes and no. Yes, because I just had the guest confirmation sent on one reservation. No, because it was a "special order" -- Koala contacted me to book a reservation for them.

I still haven't had a nibble on any of my listings. I have thirteen of mine plus the one Koala wanted.

lol, I wonder if its a prize for their “ Name the Koala “ contest.


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[Fredflintstone]

My monthly Wyndham bill is $2,763. Total maintenance fees in 2019 were $41,320.

I just gotta do this....

$41320???

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[easyrider]

I rented three Mexican Beach winter 2021 weeks out. I have one of these left for 2021. I reserved three weeks for our use.

Most of my 2020 weeks were deposited to SFX and RCI. I might deposit the 2021 week into VI.

I did figure out how to score a third story beach front penthouses in August with a bbq and a hot tub and booked it for us for now. There is a marina nearby so I can take a boat. I also booked a few two bed units for July that will be Pacific Ocean views. I think these are easy to rent because they are drive to destinations for the people that would rent our timeshares.

Bill

 

[northwoodsgal]

I was able to rent a Jackson Hole week that began 9/5/20 through Redweek that covered my maintenance feels and a little more. I suspect the location, ability to be in the open wilderness, was a plus. Unfortunately, my poor renter got caught in an unusual early snowstorm. Exactly a year ago, my husband and I were in JH and the weather was absolutely beautiful.

 

[The Colorado Kid]

I was able to rent a Jackson Hole week that began 9/5/20 through Redweek that covered my maintenance feels and a little more. I suspect the location, ability to be in the open wilderness, was a plus. Unfortunately, my poor renter got caught in an unusual early snowstorm. Exactly a year ago, my husband and I were in JH and the weather was absolutely beautiful.

Has RedWeek been your go-to rental platform and if you don't mind sharing....what level of service do you normally choose?

 

[northwoodsgal]

We had one timeshare up until this summer (just bought a second JH Towncenter) and I would rent it out in years that I didn't want to deposit with RCI. The last time I had used Redweek was 2006. I first listed the week in November 2019 for six months. I didn't realize the ad had expired - there was no notice from Redweek warning me of the expiration and asking for a renewal. I listed again 7/14 and had a renter 7/20. I used the Do-it-Yourself plus Verified. I feel there's a better chance of getting a renter if they know the week has been verified so I wouldn't skimp on that.

Last year was the first time we visited the resort even though we've owned it for about 15 years. I hadn't realize how high lodging was for that time of year until then. We had considered renting an additional night and the cheapest I could find was a Motel 6 for $230/night.

 

[The Colorado Kid]

We had one timeshare up until this summer (just bought a second JH Towncenter) and I would rent it out in years that I didn't want to deposit with RCI. The last time I had used Redweek was 2006. I first listed the week in November 2019 for six months. I didn't realize the ad had expired - there was no notice from Redweek warning me of the expiration and asking for a renewal. I listed again 7/14 and had a renter 7/20. I used the Do-it-Yourself plus Verified. I feel there's a better chance of getting a renter if they know the week has been verified so I wouldn't skimp on that.

Last year was the first time we visited the resort even though we've owned it for about 15 years. I hadn't realize how high lodging was for that time of year until then. We had considered renting an additional night and the cheapest I could find was a Motel 6 for $230/night.

Thanks @northwoodsgal ! Wow you know you have a good week when the M6 is over 2 hundo a night!

 

[Sandy VDH]

I have rented a week through Koala. So thought I would give an update.

I do not want to mess around with Redweek, ebay or Craig's list. Or even TUG for that matter. I have tried Vrbo and AirBNB but they are not set up for timeshares, without some intervention by their backoff staffing.

Koala, although 8% commission, which I priced in, was an easy rental. It buffers me from the renter, they process the payment, and there is NO fee to list. You only pay if the rental happens. Took far less of my time than any of the other platforms. I listed 7 weeks and rented 1. Covid is certainly changing the face of rentals, at least short term.

So since I do not pay for reservations fees, and only pay IF it is rented, I prefer the Koala model. I do not like having to pay a fee per listing, or an annual membership fee. Neither of which guarantees a reservation. Count up all your failed rental costs and then maybe the 8% on the one that was successful won't be so bad.