Renting via Starwood

[Catazog]

I've read several posts about people renting their timeshares themselves using TUG, Redweek, etc. Has anyone tried renting their unit using Starwood's rental program? How does that work? I know Starwood takes 50% of the proceeds so you can make more $$ doing it yourself, but what if you just don't want the hassle of dealing with it?

Also, if you rent out your unit yourself, are you liable for any damage if your renter trashes the place?

 

[tomandrobin]

We rented our unit our selves. It really wasn't that much trouble. We had a contract that contained wording that the renter was responsible for any damages or charges while at the resort.

 

[Robert D]

I've rented one week at both of my Starwood units, one on TUG and the other on Ebay and had no problems with either of them. Didn't have a rental agreement with either but Starwood requires a credit card imprint when you check in, just like at a hotel, and any charges are damages to the unit are charged to that credit card, so there's really no worries about those issues, as far as I can tell. I got about 50% more than the maintenance fee in rent for both units.

 

[DeniseM]

Not only does Starwood take 50% of the rental price plus any other fees (like travel agent commission) but they don't guarantee that they will rent your unit or that you will get any money from it! They have enough of my money! I'm not giving them any more!

Renting it yourself is very easy - I rented my WKORV week for more than twice the MF for 2008 and I've rented my SDO week in the past for twice the MF as well. I simply advertised it on some low-cost websites. Then when a serious renter came along I charged them $100 (Paypal) to put the reservation in their name with Starwood. Then when the renter received the confirmation in their name from Starwood they paid the balance in full, also via Paypal. Very, very, easy! And yes, any damages go on their credit card which they must provide upon check-in.

 

[Catazog]

Then when a serious renter came along I charged them $100 (Paypal) to put the reservation in their name with Starwood. Then when the renter received the confirmation in their name from Starwood they paid the balance in full, also via Paypal. Very, very, easy! And yes, any damages go on their credit card which they must provide upon check-in.

Denise, do you just call Starwood and ask them to put the reservation in the renter's name? Can they get an email confirmation?

Thanks, Dee Dee

 

[DeniseM]

Denise, do you just call Starwood and ask them to put the reservation in the renter's name? Can they get an email confirmation?

Thanks, Dee Dee

Yes - but their email system hasn't been working properly lately, so I have them send a hard copy of the reservation as well.

 

[mabelline7]

Renting

Just my two cents about renting/exchanging. I am in the process of a direct exchange for my St. John property and i have called owner services MANY times requesting that they email or mail me the confirmation with the guests name on it since the confirmation is always addressed to the owners. I have yet to recieve it. If anyone knows another way to get Starwood to comply, please let me know. Although Starwood tells me that their names are on the reservation, I am not comfortable sending them there without proper documentation with their names on it.

 

[tomandrobin]

Just my two cents about renting/exchanging. I am in the process of a direct exchange for my St. John property and i have called owner services MANY times requesting that they email or mail me the confirmation with the guests name on it since the confirmation is always addressed to the owners. I have yet to recieve it. If anyone knows another way to get Starwood to comply, please let me know. Although Starwood tells me that their names are on the reservation, I am not comfortable sending them there without proper documentation with their names on it.

Unfortunately, in the three times we had rented or exchanged units, it took three or four phone calls to get either a mailed or e-mailed confirmation with the added names.

 

[Henry M.]

I just competed an exchange and what II did was to request a fax of the confirmation. That one came a few hours after I asked for it. They can't do e-mail confirmation for WKORV-N et.

 

[labonnevie]

We rented our unit our selves. It really wasn't that much trouble. We had a contract that contained wording that the renter was responsible for any damages or charges while at the resort.

Where did you get the contract you mention?
Could I get a copy please?

 

[pointsjunkie]

after many tries-telephone, e-mail and then through mystarcentral message center, I finally recieved all my reservations .now copied them to paper so i have all of them in my travel folder. good luck

 

[tomandrobin]

Where did you get the contract you mention?
Could I get a copy please?

I actually got it from TUG and just modified to fit our rental.

Rental Help link

 

[KOR5Star]

I own 12 weeks and don't always use them all. This has been my second year renting with Starwood. I rented with them for that exact reason... I didn't want the hassle.

Well... welcome to Hassleville. OMG! Last year I had President's week. They screwed it up never actually rented my units... No, it's not that nobody rented. They never put them on the market! Apparently, they "forgot".

Now it's one thing if I put them on the market and they simply didn't rent. But to somehow lose my paperwork, so they don't even know my units are for rent is ridiculous. I complained they covered the MF. That's fine. I just didn't want the weeks to be a total waste.

Apparently I'm a masochist, because I reserved two weeks for July 4th and gave it to Starwood to rent again. This time I reminded/checked with them on the first of every month (starting 6 months out) that the units were on the books as rentals.

The week before the holiday week I checked with WKORV itself. All was good. They said they were 100% booked. I checked with Orlando one last time. All was good. My units were DEFINITELY in the rental pool. No doubt about it! During the holiday week itself, I checked spg.com every day to see if any units were available... even for a single day. Nope... 100% booked. No availability.

Lastly I even called every day to the front desk. No vacancies. Not even for a single day. Nothing. Nada. Nichts.

So... a month and a half later I am told only three days booked on a 1BR unit. I think it was four days on the studio. The other 1BR and studio (they recommend you reserve them as split units if you want to rent.) didn't rent at all.

My recommendation: Run, don't walk, from Starwood as a rental agent. They have their heads where the Sun don't shine.

Don't get me wrong. I love the heck out of the SVN and I'm extremely happy I'm an owner there, but like everything, they have warts. Their rental system is one of the warts.

 

[tomandrobin]

I own 12 weeks and don't always use them all. This has been my second year renting with Starwood. I rented with them for that exact reason... I didn't want the hassle.

Well... welcome to Hassleville. OMG! Last year I had President's week. They screwed it up never actually rented my units... No, it's not that nobody rented. They never put them on the market! Apparently, they "forgot".

Now it's one thing if I put them on the market and they simply didn't rent. But to somehow lose my paperwork, so they don't even know my units are for rent is ridiculous. I complained they covered the MF. That's fine. I just didn't want the weeks to be a total waste.

Apparently I'm a masochist, because I reserved two weeks for July 4th and gave it to Starwood to rent again. This time I reminded/checked with them on the first of every month (starting 6 months out) that the units were on the books as rentals.

The week before the holiday week I checked with WKORV itself. All was good. They said they were 100% booked. I checked with Orlando one last time. All was good. My units were DEFINITELY in the rental pool. No doubt about it! During the holiday week itself, I checked spg.com every day to see if any units were available... even for a single day. Nope... 100% booked. No availability.

Lastly I even called every day to the front desk. No vacancies. Not even for a single day. Nothing. Nada. Nichts.

So... a month and a half later I am told only three days booked on a 1BR unit. I think it was four days on the studio. The other 1BR and studio (they recommend you reserve them as split units if you want to rent.) didn't rent at all.

My recommendation: Run, don't walk, from Starwood as a rental agent. They have their heads where the Sun don't shine.

Don't get me wrong. I love the heck out of the SVN and I'm extremely happy I'm an owner there, but like everything, they have warts. Their rental system is one of the warts.

Terrible...just terrible! SVO tends to be way self serving at times.

 

[nodge]

I think SVO’s inventory control involves reservation/telemarking agents typing out owner requests on sticky notes using their IBM Selectric typewritters (elite font for requests, PICA font for rentals), and posting those sticky notes on the company fridge. Same for the “wait list” (yellow sticky notes) and “surprise and delight” elite upgrades (green sticky notes) we’ve heard so much about (but remember mums the word).

Until SVO commits to upgrading its inventory management systems, we owners will continue to suffer with these types of problems. The key is to make OUR problems SVO’s problems. Gee, if there were only some way we could do that . . . ..

-nodge

 

[Robert D]

KOR5Star, I may be a little guilded, but I wouldn't be surprised if they rented your unts and lied to you so they wouldn't have to pay you. This is especially true in the situation where you checked availability on their website each day and there was nothing available. My understanding is that if you don't show up or call by the second day of your reservation, they will rent out your unit if they can. At any rate, I wouldn't trust them to do anything good for me and would never trust them to rent one of my TS weeks. Their entire system is to make money for Starwood, not their owners.

 

[KOR5Star]

KOR5Star, I may be a little guilded, but I wouldn't be surprised if they rented your unts and lied to you so they wouldn't have to pay you. This is especially true in the situation where you checked availability on their website each day and there was nothing available. My understanding is that if you don't show up or call by the second day of your reservation, they will rent out your unit if they can. At any rate, I wouldn't trust them to do anything good for me and would never trust them to rent one of my TS weeks. Their entire system is to make money for Starwood, not their owners.

I think it's just stupidity and apathy. They are probably not intentionally stealing from me. I'd hate to think anything so sinister of them.

 

[DavidnRobin]

I think SVO’s inventory control involves reservation/telemarking agents typing out owner requests on sticky notes using their IBM Selectric typewritters (elite font for requests, PICA font for rentals), and posting those sticky notes on the company fridge. Same for the “wait list” (yellow sticky notes) and “surprise and delight” elite upgrades (green sticky notes) we’ve heard so much about (but remember mums the word).

Until SVO commits to upgrading its inventory management systems, we owners will continue to suffer with these types of problems. The key is to make OUR problems SVO’s problems. Gee, if there were only some way we could do that . . . ..

-nodge

They are 'state of the art' when it comes to computers and database technology - no doubt about it - they sent me an email (and a letter addressed to Robin Davis, and a luggage tag...) to let me know this.

Now if I could just get them to email me our upcoming reservations... (5th try is the charm)

Nodge - keep up the good fight...

 

[DeniseM]

David - I sent them a nasty note using the communications button on mystarcentral.com and that did the trick. I got both an email and a snail mail confirmation.