KOALA.

[Dommt]

Any experience with this company? I did find a lot in the search. They seem to be a reputable option to rent out your unit.

 

[Tacoma]

I have listed 2 weeks with them and never received any nibbles. Still they are free tolist with so no harm in trying.

 

[tschwa2]

They are a reputable company but I don't know how much exposure they get so they may not bring enough people looking to rent what you have.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

Any experience with this company? I did find a lot in the search. They seem to be a reputable option to rent out your unit.

from the other side of the fence, I found their search, their User I/F to be HORRIBLE, a complete waste of time. I'd never go back.

 

[HudsHut]

I have two friends who were able to rent via Koala last year. My listings have not rented (yet).
Since it's free, add to their inventory.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I list with them and have had some rentals but not as many as Redweek. I am hoping Koala works out.

Costs me $80 to rent a $1,000 DVC reservation for five nights in a studio. Costs me $160 to rent that same week on RW. It's a better option. I actually add the $160 to my RW rentals and $80 to the Koala rental. But it is cheap to list on Koala, until you hit that $2,000 rate for a rental, then it's the same as RW I still have the sunk cost of the $59 listing fee at RW with verify/ protect. AND, there have been a few that have not rented at all. Koala doesn't charge anything to list.

I still list on RW and will continue to do so, but really hoping Koala takes off.

I do not take into consideration what the renter pays in taxes/ fees to rent on either site. Matters not to me. I cannot even see the fee on RW, unless I book something.

 

[dioxide45]

from the other side of the fence, I found their search, their User I/F to be HORRIBLE, a complete waste of time. I'd never go back.

Isn’t their UI very similar to Airbnb?

 

[Sandy VDH]

They also have something called the Hub. If you are a wyndham or a hilton owner, they have requests for bookings where the price is already set, you just have to decide if you want to fill the request. If you have leftover points to use, and you have hilton or wyndham that could be a good option. If you don't have those or just want to list then there is that option too.

Koala has three great things going for it from timeshare owners point of view:

1) Listing is easy to add. They have all the pictures and descriptions for many TS already set up, all you have to do is pick the resort, unit type and rate you are asking. Most other sites you have to provide pictures and descriptions. You can add a listing in under a minute. Ever try AirBnB, OMG, it is so complicated to remove all other days from the calendar and set the min and max to equal your number of days rental. Too much work for 99% of rentals.
2) Listing is FREE. you only pay if you actually rent it. RW and other site you pay to place the ad. Sure AirBnB is % of rental, but listing management outways that, at least to me.
3) Never have to deal directly with the renter. Koala does all of that, they take the payments, and then start payment processing 24 to 48 hours after checkin is completed. This is a real timesaver, as you don't waste your time on tire kickers, or those who say they are interested, but never arrange to pay you. RW, AirBnB etc, you have to deal with all that directly. I don't want that interaction. I don't want that risk.

 

[chapjim]

They also have something called the Hub. If you are a wyndham or a hilton owner, they have requests for bookings where the price is already set, you just have to decide if you want to fill the request. If you have leftover points to use, and you have hilton or wyndham that could be a good option. If you don't have those or just want to list then there is that option too.

Koala has three great things going for it from timeshare owners point of view:

1) Listing is easy to add. They have all the pictures and descriptions for many TS already set up, all you have to do is pick the resort, unit type and rate you are asking. Most other sites you have to provide pictures and descriptions. You can add a listing in under a minute.
2) Listing is FREE. you only pay if you actually rent it. RW and other site you pay to place the ad.
3) Never have to deal directly with the renter. Koala does all of that, they take the payments, and then start payment processing 24 to 48 hours after checkin is completed. This is a real timesaver, as you don't waste your time on tire kickers, or those who say they are interested, but never arrange to pay you.

On the other hand, if you list a Florida rental using RedWeek's Full Service, they'll file Florida's Sales and Use Tax on short-term rentals. I've posted elsewhere what a major PITA the Florida tax is.

As an example, I had one rental in Florida in April 2023 at The Resort on Cocoa Beach, which is a "partner." I have to file every month even though I didn't rent anything and had no tax due. If I had rented at another resort, that would be another "partner" and another monthly filing, regardless of whether there was another rental after the first one. There is a basic Florida tax rate and each county can have an additional tax.

In 2021, before I got busted, I had seventy rentals in a dozen Florida resorts, which means by the end of the year, I would have had to submit a dozen filings each month even into the next year, regardless of whether I had any rentals.

That alone is worth the $60 that RedWeek.com charges for Full Service.

 

[dioxide45]

On the other hand, if you list a Florida rental using RedWeek's Full Service, they'll file Florida's Sales and Use Tax on short-term rentals. I've posted elsewhere what a major PITA the Florida tax is.

As an example, I had one rental in Florida in April 2023 at The Resort on Cocoa Beach, which is a "partner." I have to file every month even though I didn't rent anything and had no tax due. If I had rented at another resort, that would be another "partner" and another monthly filing, regardless of whether there was another rental after the first one. There is a basic Florida tax rate and each county can have an additional tax.

In 2021, before I got busted, I had seventy rentals in a dozen Florida resorts, which means by the end of the year, I would have had to submit a dozen filings each month even into the next year, regardless of whether I had any rentals.

That alone is worth the $60 that RedWeek.com charges for Full Service.

In Florida, don't you file a single Sales and Use Tax return for everything within the state? I know that is how it works with retail sales tax. Though I guess some counties may opt to collect their own occupancy taxers.

 

[GT75]

They also have something called the Hub. If you are a wyndham or a hilton owner, they have requests for bookings where the price is already set, you just have to decide if you want to fill the request.

That option is only available if you pay for that service (Gold VIP membership for above).

If you have leftover points to use, and you have hilton or wyndham that could be a good option.

On hilton (specifically HGVC) you are only allowed to rent your home weeks. I wouldn't recommend renting anything other than your Home Week reservations.

 

[chapjim]

In Florida, don't you file a single Sales and Use Tax return for everything within the state? I know that is how it works with retail sales tax. Though I guess some counties may opt to collect their own occupancy taxers.

No, it doesn't work like that. If I have rentals at five resorts ("partners"), I have to do five filings every month thereafter. Once you have a rental, you just keep filing monthly whether or not you have a tax due.