Which timeshare companies allow owners to rent their weeks to non-owners?

[Chrichele]

Hello, I am new to the timeshare world and have seen that there are many timeshare companies who do not allow owners to rent their weeks to non-owners. Are there many companies who do allow owners to rent out their weeks to others? Is there list of those companies available somewhere? It seems like being able to rent your weeks when unable to use would provide a lot more flexibility in usage.

 

[davidvel]

Most have a restriction on commercial use, with vague rules. Some are more lenient and others more restrictive. None that I know of openly state you can rent as much as you want (other than in sales meetings.) You should not buy a timeshare with the expectation that it can be routinely rented out. You should not buy a timeshare if you don't expect to use it every year.

 

[geist1223]

If you own a Deeded Week - same unit, same week every year you can usually rent it without problems.

 

[Eric B]

From the 2025 WorldMark Club Guidelines:

[A]2. Guest is any person who is not an Owner and who is allowed overnight use of Club Property through the rights of an Owner, as may be allowed under these Club Guidelines.

[C]13. Guest Use. Any non-owner use, whether by rental or gift, is considered Guest usage by the definition given above in Section A.2. The Owner making the reservation is responsible for Guest behavior, charges resulting from Guest usage and Guest compliance with all applicable Club Guidelines and Restrictions. The Owner does not have to be present during Guest usage of Vacation Credits. However, the Owner does have to be present during the Guest usage of Bonus Time, unless the reservation is made no earlier than five (5) days before the first day of the reserved period. An Owner may charge a Guest for use of Vacation Credits in whatever amount the Owner chooses, but may charge Guests for Bonus Time usage in only the actual cost of Bonus Time. Owners shall not charge any fee in cases where rental is prohibited by local law or restriction, or in cases that the Club Board determines are not in the best interest of the Club.

There used to be an explicit statement that WorldMark owners may rent out stays as well as a statement that commercial use is prohibited without a definition of what commercial use is. Now it's just "when the Club Board determines" you can't rent. I haven't seen any communication of such a Club Board determination, but at least they've made it an explicit requirement for a determination by the Club Board.

 

[Eric B]

At Westin St John, the ability of an owner to rent out a deeded week is included in the public offering statement documents. That's also the case for most HGVC resorts. Where it gets more likely that you are prohibited from renting is when the stay is booked through an internal or external exchange system like many of the points systems around now.

 

[Janann]

Disney is very generous with renting. You can rent out a booked week, or rent out your points so that someone else can book a week. There is a very active market for rentals.

Here's one of the more popular websites: https://dvcrequest.com/

 

[bnoble]

there are many timeshare companies who do not allow owners to rent their weeks to non-owners.

Very few forbid it entirely---in fact, I'm not sure I know of one off the top of my head. At the same time, almost all of them forbid "commercial use". The line between those two is fuzzy, and can vary between developers and over time.

For example, it is true that there is an active DVC rental market. It is also true that the Board said said they wanted to limit it. DVC News quotes them as saying: "We are actively figuring out ways to go after [large scale commercial renting], and stop that to the best of our ability. Hopefully this is not a conversation we will be having in future years. We’re going to go after that and try to remedy it as best we can."

 

[andre10056]

I've always looked upon my ownership of a timeshare as similar to owning a year round condo. The difference is, on one hand, you own year round and, on the other hand, you own only one week. But both are deeded pieces of real estate.

For the one week that I am the owner of a timeshare, I would expect to be able to rent it or give it away or stay in it myself if I so desire. Of course, if I punch a hole in the wall of my year round condo, I can leave it that way if I choose. On the other hand, in the case of my timeshare, someone else is coming in right after I or my tenant or my guest vacate and the damage will have to be repaired (at my expense, of course).

But I'd be very concerned if my homeowners association passed any rules and regulations restricting my ability to do with my week what I'd like to do in regards to gifting or renting.

Most will not have any such restrictions. The one I've heard about is a resort not allowing its owners to rent out parts of weeks (for example, 3 or 4 days out of the 7). That particular resort regarded shorter term renters as being most likely to cause damage. But then I found out that the Board of Directors all owned multiple weeks and rented them out using the timeshare management company which used Expedia. Which meant maybe two days, then maybe three days, then maybe two days again. So, in that case, what was good for the goose was not good for the gander.

Lest you think timeshare buying and renting is a great business idea, for the average timeshare, it is VERY unlikely that you will recoup your maintenance fees, if you manage to rent at all. There may be exceptions like Disney timeshares, but those most often involve significant upfront costs.

 

[bnoble]

But both are deeded pieces of real estate.

They are. But both have significant easements and restrictions tied to the deeds---and more so for the timeshare. So it's not as simple as "I own it, and can do what I want with it."

 

[andre10056]

They are. But both have significant easements and restrictions tied to the deeds---and more so for the timeshare. So it's not as simple as "I own it, and can do what I want with it."

I agree that I shouldn't be able to set up a woodworking shop in my unit during my week. But, as to renting, can you see any legitimate reason to not allow four renters in a maximum capacity four unit? I can imagine a racial or religious restriction from yesteryear, but both very illegal nowadays.

 

[bnoble]

That's a complete strawman argument, and not what I am discussing. I am discussing the difference between casual and infrequent rentals (which as far as I know every system allows) and using your timeshares as a business (which as far as I know every system forbids). The line between those two is nearly always unclear, and so anyone buying with the idea of renting frequently (as opposed to "every once in a while when I can't use it") should walk in with eyes wide open.

So the answer to the OP's question: "What companies let me rent my week in the years I can't use it" is: pretty much all of them. Though that is probably with the caveat that "the years I can't use it" doesn't mean "every year".

 

[andre10056]

That's a complete strawman argument, and not what I am discussing. I am discussing the difference between casual and infrequent rentals (which as far as I know every system allows) and using your timeshares as a business (which as far as I know every system forbids). The line between those two is nearly always unclear, and so anyone buying with the idea of renting frequently (as opposed to "every once in a while when I can't use it") should walk in with eyes wide open.

Sorry. You didn't make that very clear to me. You responded to my post in which I identified myself as discussing "the one week that I am the owner of a timeshare".

And I personally don't think your renting your timeshare every year if someone in your family is sick and cannot travel (or whatever reason) as being "commercial use". Especially when you're talking about a timeshare that can't be sold and will be an albatross around your neck forever.

But, as to others, if I could play devils' advocate, apparently Disney sold multiple (perhaps tens of) timeshares to people who they undoubtedly knew would be renting them as a business. And they're now allegedly going to crack down on that???!!! I find the whole Disney situation fascinating, having never really seen what was going on there until very recently (i.e., a few weeks ago). I'm watching intently.

 

[bnoble]

I personally don't think

The problem is that your personal opinion won't be the one that matters when it comes time for a management company to bring the hammer down, and neither will mine.

apparently Disney sold multiple (perhaps tens of) timeshares to people who they undoubtedly knew would be renting them as a business. And they're now allegedly going to crack down on that

Yes that is 100% correct. The governing documents have ALWAYS had a prohibition on commercial use, and the definition of commercial use was always subject to Disney's "sole and unfettered discretion." This is one of the fundamental truths of timeshare: the developers can and will change the de facto rules, because the de jure documents give them incredible latitude.

You neither have to like it nor agree with it for it to be true. The past twenty years are positively littered with such examples across the entire industry. And in Disney's particular case: anyone who thought they'd get a permanent free pass to undercut Disney's hotel arm was fooling themselves. The Mouse is not known for its benevolent treatment of business partners, let alone competitors. Just ask Scarlett Johansson, among others.