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Timeshares being overtaken by VRBO/Airbnb?

TravelTime

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Do people advertise their timeshares on AirBnB and VRBO?
 

T_R_Oglodyte

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Do people advertise their timeshares on AirBnB and VRBO?
I've seen a few. But it really doesn't work well; people are looking for more flexibility than is generally possible with a TS.
 

silentg

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So are you timeshare free now?
 

TravelTime

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I think AirBnB is a totally different market and product than a Marriott, Disney, Westin, Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton and other branded timeshares. One is a condo-like resort experience and the other is a place to sleep. People have mentioned VRBO and AirBnB as being pet friendly. I have not been able to find many pet friendly places when I have searched in California. The price per night in California is pretty high in the places I have been interested in going. I think comparing my timeshares to AirBnB is apples and oranges. The fact that I have timeshares does not mean I do not still stay in hotels or that I might not consider renting someone’s property if it fit my vacation or business needs. We just spent 10 nights in hotels because there were no timeshares where we visited. I avoid AirBnB because I do not like renting from owners nor do I like sleeping in someone’s home. I am more open to AirBnB or VRBO if the property is managed like a professional hotel or resort and it is exclusively used for rentals. I can’t imagine ever staying in a bedroom in someone’s house. Even before AirBnB existed, there were ways to rent from owners especially in Europe. We never chose this even though many people have been doing it for years.
 
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CalGalTraveler

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I can see both sides of the neighborhood rental issue.

We VRBO/AirBnb our mountain cabin. Our county is now evaluating adopting measures similar to South Lake Tahoe's which don't fairly treat property owner rights for landlords who rent out their property (and are also taxpayers in the county.) For example, there are some locals in our mountain resort community who don't want neighbors at all. When we first built our second home our next door neighbor treated us horribly because she believed that we should not be there because we built a house on what was our vacant land that she enjoyed. This infringed on her quiet "forest experience." What is to stop such neighbors from filing invalid complaints so people like us will stop renting? South Lake Tahoe hires an agency that gets paid based on citations, which becomes a revenue source for the county and agency which further perpetuates the issue.

These fines are huge. No first time warning: $1000 to the renter and $1000 to the property owner. I don't mind the renter getting hit if they are having a frat party but fining the property owner is unfair because they may be hundreds of miles away and has no control over who rents their property because renters are screened and managed by our property management company. If the property owner gets 3 of these citations (from frat parties (warranted) to minor e.g. a car is parked on the street in front of the home. They cannot get a permit to rent out their property for 18 months. This is draconian.

We told our management company that if this comes to pass, we will add a clause to our rental agreement which will pass our $1000 fee to their credit card. This could indeed be a very expensive Airbnb!

99% of renters are respectful. I think some measures are valid, however let's not go overboard for 1% and respect the rights of property owners to rent out what they own.

What many don't realize is such regulations damages the value of their own property when they sell because fewer buyers can afford to simply own and use a vacation property in a resort community. In addition, many locales earn a living from vacationers. Supply and demand.
 

klpca

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All's well and good until they are in *your* residential neighborhood. We don't live in a vacation location. We live in a middle class residential neighborhood of tract homes. I don't want to live in the middle of someone's vacation. That's why we *chose* suburbia instead of the beach communities. We have an airbnb just up the street and it's a bit of a zoo. The reviews on their ad mention the poor condition of the property that's being rented (and that's true), and then go on to mention how nice the neighborhood is. I feel like our airbnb neighbors are making money at our expense and we get to deal with the fallout.

Here's a column highlighting the long term housing issues with short term rentals: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com...enkins/sd-me-jenkins-strv-20171006-story.html
I'm sure the neighbors appreciated this party (friends live nearby...it was quite the night!):
http://www.cbs8.com/story/37325250/...idents-upset-after-wild-party-at-airbnb-house
Is any of this related to the 13.65% rent increase that my daughter just received from her landlord? You have to wonder.

I truly hope that this doesn't become a way of life in the future. It will change the very fabric of our residential neighborhoods.

Btw, I think that rentals in vacation locations are ok. It's not a secret that there are vacation rentals at the beach or in places like Incline Village. I'm specifically concerned about suburban neighborhoods. People need places to live and raise their kids, and where residents can live close enough to commute to work.
 

Steve Fatula

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I don't mind the renter getting hit if they are having a frat party but fining the property owner is unfair because they may be hundreds of miles away and has no control over who rents their property because renters are screened and managed by our property management company. If the property owner gets 3 of these citations (from frat parties (warranted) to minor e.g. a car is parked on the street in front of the home. They cannot get a permit to rent out their property for 18 months.

I am sorry, but I would have to say I agree with the fines for owners. The fact that you might be 1,000 miles away does not excuse you from the responsibility. If I am 1,000 miles away when my kid skips school, it's still my issue. That you assign the responsibility to the management company is your choice. Perhaps you need to make THEM responsible for any fine received (for example). Perhaps security is needed, not sure. But you cannot excuse yourself from responsibility.
 

CalGalTraveler

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Btw, I think that rentals in vacation locations are ok. It's not a secret that there are vacation rentals at the beach or in places like Incline Village. I'm specifically concerned about suburban neighborhoods. People need places to live and raise their kids, and where residents can live close enough to commute to work.

I agree for a place where people live however, this is in a vacation location. They are the only ones on our street that live there. The rest of the homes are vacation homes in Lake Tahoe.

Perhaps I should complain to the county that all of their crap is an eyesore strewn outside on their front and back yards and their multiple vehicles, including a trailer (that I believe they rent out to someone) completely fills the driveway and sits partially on our property. But I will hold my tongue for a day when I will need the currency to negotiate with that neighbor.
 
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CalGalTraveler

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I am sorry, but I would have to say I agree with the fines for owners. The fact that you might be 1,000 miles away does not excuse you from the responsibility. If I am 1,000 miles away when my kid skips school, it's still my issue. That you assign the responsibility to the management company is your choice. Perhaps you need to make THEM responsible for any fine received (for example). Perhaps security is needed, not sure. But you cannot excuse yourself from responsibility.

We rent to adults over 29 only and have strict house rules for renter.

If a college kid commits a crime, the parents do not get fined. Do not go to jail. The sins of the son are not the sins of the mother.

We will simply pass along these costs to the renters (and they go on a blacklist with our management company).

VRBO/Airbnb will become much more expensive in the future making timeshares much more attractive.
 
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VacationForever

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I like the resort feel of timeshare and do not intend to ever use AirBnB, HomeAway and the likes. You never know what is wrong with a private residence rented through AirBnB..., like spiders (one neighbor's son walked into a spider infested home), secret video camera (yikes...), something is broken and no one answers the phone or send maintenance folks to fix it, gas leaking (the incident where the family perished) etc. At a nice (Marriott/Vistana/Hyat...) timeshare resort or a 4/5 star hotel, you get service, restaurants and the general ambience and it makes you relax right away.
 

klpca

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I agree for a place where people live however, this is in a vacation location. They are the only ones on our street that live there. The rest of the homes are vacation homes.

Perhaps I should complain to the county that all of their crap is an eyesore strewn outside on their front and back yards and their multiple vehicles, including a trailer (that I believe they rent out to someone) completely fills the driveway and sits partially on our property. But I will hold my tongue for a day when I will need the currency to negotiate.
I get that it's not an issue in a vacation location which is why I clarified above. Too bad about your messy neighbors. I wouldn't complain either - I'm sure it will poke the bear and it will be an unending retaliation from your neighbor and who needs that?

Airbnb doesn't care about residential locations though. They certainly don't care about the neighbors being affected. I have another friend who lives across the street from a house that is advertised as "perfect for parties". You can imagine what type of renters they get. There are party buses every weekend, they've had guys vomiting in their bushes, the police have to be called regularly - but airbnb and the owners do nothing. Their position is that the renters are the issue, not them. If you advertise your property as perfect for parties, then what do you expect? Again, why do the neighbors have to bear the brunt of the downside, while the owner and airbnb make money? This model is not good for residential neighborhoods.
 

klpca

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I like the resort feel of timeshare and do not intend to ever use AirBnB, HomeAway and the likes. You never know what is wrong with a private residence rented through AirBnB..., like spiders (one neighbor's son walked into a spider infested home), secret video camera (yikes...), something is broken and no one answers the phone or send maintenance folks to fix it, gas leaking (the incident where the family perished) etc. At a nice (Marriott/Vistana/Hyat...) timeshare resort or a 4/5 star hotel, you get service, restaurants and the general ambience and it makes you relax right away.
Back in 2001 we found used syringes on the floor of our VRBO rental in Kona. <<shiver>> It still scares me as we had our three kids with us at the time. Luckily there was a on-island property manager that was able to switch us into a condo (after a lot of pressure) and it salvaged our trip. Originally they wanted us to clean the place and they were going to waive the cleaning fee. Are you serious??

Timeshares for me, thanks!
 

Steve Fatula

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We rent to adults over 29 only and have strict house rules for renter.

If a college kid commits a crime, the parents do not get fined. Do not go to jail. The sins of the son are not the sins of the mother.

We will simply pass along these costs to the renters (and they go on a blacklist with our management company).

VRBO/Airbnb will become much more expensive in the future making timeshares much more attractive.

Sure, but, you changed the example. In your adult child case, your adult child is now on their own legally. You still own the property, totally different.

If someone slips and falls at your rental property, guess who may have to pay? Isn't that sort of liability insurance expensive for a rental property?
 

vikingsholm

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I can see both sides of the neighborhood rental issue.

We VRBO/AirBnb our mountain cabin. Our county is now evaluating adopting measures similar to South Lake Tahoe's which don't fairly treat property owner rights for landlords who rent out their property (and are also taxpayers in the county.) For example, there are some locals in our mountain resort community who don't want neighbors at all. When we first built our second home our next door neighbor treated us horribly because she believed that we should not be there because we built a house on what was our vacant land that she enjoyed. This infringed on her quiet "forest experience." What is to stop such neighbors from filing invalid complaints so people like us will stop renting? South Lake Tahoe hires an agency that gets paid based on citations, which becomes a revenue source for the county and agency which further perpetuates the issue.

These fines are huge. No first time warning: $1000 to the renter and $1000 to the property owner. I don't mind the renter getting hit if they are having a frat party but fining the property owner is unfair because they may be hundreds of miles away and has no control over who rents their property because renters are screened and managed by our property management company. If the property owner gets 3 of these citations (from frat parties (warranted) to minor e.g. a car is parked on the street in front of the home. They cannot get a permit to rent out their property for 18 months. This is draconian.

We told our management company that if this comes to pass, we will add a clause to our rental agreement which will pass our $1000 fee to their credit card. This could indeed be a very expensive Airbnb!

99% of renters are respectful. I think some measures are valid, however let's not go overboard for 1% and respect the rights of property owners to rent out what they own.

What many don't realize is such regulations damages the value of their own property when they sell because fewer buyers can afford to simply own and use a vacation property in a resort community. In addition, many locales earn a living from vacationers. Supply and demand.
I believe I read that South Lake Tahoe quickly rescinded that $1,000 fine to a much lower level after a big outcry. But it's hard to keep track of everything I read these days. I don't have any skin in this game, as solely a timeshare user in SLT, but I can see how it's a hot issue and both sides have their points. Your neighbor's expectations sound really out of bounds regarding your property too. Likewise, the locals in SLT are definitely opinionated, in various ways.
 

CalGalTraveler

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It does appear they have softened, but it appears that South Lake Tahoe were handing out $2000 parking tickets instead of violations for frat parties and garbage.

It's truly government over-reach. What if a neighbor parks in front of my rental home, so I get fined? Why is it that my neighbor can park his cars all over the street (and his lawn) and I or my renters cannot park in front of my home? I understand for winter snow plowing, but these fines are being assessed during the summer. It's a moneymaker for the government.

https://www.rgj.com/story/money/bus...r-parking-fine-vacation-rental-law/552138002/

It also appears to be killing the South Lake Tahoe economy because people are opting to rent on the North or West Shore or NV.
 
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Railman83

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We rent to adults over 29 only and have strict house rules for renter.

If a college kid commits a crime, the parents do not get fined. Do not go to jail. The sins of the son are not the sins of the mother.

We will simply pass along these costs to the renters (and they go on a blacklist with our management company).

VRBO/Airbnb will become much more expensive in the future making timeshares much more attractive.


Vrbo already has, Airbnb will.

The model for internet business is to become the 800 lb gorilla that everyone uses by enticing owners with reasonable prices and giving the service away free to consumers. Eventually the get so large that owners can’t do without and they have monopoly pricing and jack up the fees.

Vrbo has done this, adding 10-15% to the cost of a rental. Many owners bolted, but there is no great alternative. Those that stayed had to eat some of the cost and try to pass some on. The result is the middleman prospers while the buyer and seller suffer.

Vrbo and Airbnb aren’t really in the same market. Airbnb did take some business from Vrbo due to flexibility and some low end rentals, but if you have a vacation rental, say, at the beach and rent by the week, I think you’d get about half the revenue as Vrbo.

All this makes timeshares a better alternative, even as a rental. Not everywhere and certainly not directly from the company, but as individual rentals I do not believe that Vrbo can compete on price in most markets where you have a substantial timeshare presence.

Where I rent you can get a 2br timeshare 4 stars for about what a 3-3.5 Star 2br rents for at Vrbo.
 

stmartinfan

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In my experience, both options have a place. We enjoy time sharing for the resort atmosphere in beach locations. We use VRBO, etc., when we want a larger place in a major city where timeshares aren't an option. I also travel often with a group of friends, and we need a five bedroom rental with lots of bathrooms...not something we could access via a timeshare. Prior to VRBO, our family rented several times via rental agencies in European cities and I appreciated knowing that the agency had pre-vetted the place and had someone who met us at the door to check that the unit was as it should be. I still try to use agencies when they are available, even though they may cost a bit more because of the extra benefits I feel I get, but they are dwindling as owners move to VRBO.
 

RSBlades

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There already are people doing it...

But that doesn't mean there are not issues, it just means they are doing it...

Cheers!
thanks for your reply. We are points owners and can rent days or a week. Does Wyndham have a problem with me using Airbnb. I have been using Extra Holidays but hate losing the 40%
 
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