Timeshare Rentals 101: Understanding Timeshare Rental Agreements

This section of the rental agreement should specify all of the details for the unit being rented. This includes the following information:

• Resort name & address: A documented record of the resort name and street address where the reservation has been confirmed.
• Unit size: These can range from studios to three or four bedrooms.
• Unit sleeping capacity: How many guests are allowed in the unit? What is the maximum occupancy for the unit rented for adults and children?
  • Occupancy rules are strict, and in some places, additional benefits can be tied to the number of occupants. For example, at Harborside Atlantis, wristbands for water park access are included with the stay but limited to one per guest; so if the one-bedroom deluxe has a maximum capacity of four guests, only four Atlantis waterpark passes will be included for the stay.
• Bedding configuration (if known): The specific bedding configuration of the unit is essential.
  • For example, when traveling with teenage children, it is likely more desirable to have two separate beds in the second bedroom rather than a king bed. Often, the bedding configuration will be known in advance, but there will be situations when the configurations can vary.  When the resort assigns units upon checking, it is essential to be aware of the potential bedding configurations that could be assigned.
• View category: Specifies the view type that can be expected from the unit.
  • Many resorts assign a particular view category to units. Units with superior view categories, such as oceanfront, ocean, oceanside, or mountain view, can be more desirable and typically more expensive to rent than garden, city, or island view units.  Often, units will be guaranteed in a specific view category, but this does not mean that a particular unit location is guaranteed.
• Unit number (if known): In some situations, owners have specific fixed weeks and units for rent. In this case, it is ideal for the rental agreement to specify the unit number the renter will receive at check-in time.
  • However, in most situations, units are assigned by the resort at check-in time; the unit size, sleeping capacity, and view category should be known in advance, but the specific unit to be assigned will often vary.

Ensure the specific check-in and check-out dates are specified in the rental agreement. In addition, it is ideal to add the resort check-in and check-out times. Many resorts have, for example, a 4:00 PM check-in time and a 10:00 AM or 11:00 AM check-out time.

Early check-in or late check-out is typically not available for timeshare condos due to the amount of time it takes to turn over the condos to housekeeping for cleaning. In most cases, the front desk will hold luggage and allow vacationers to enjoy property amenities while their villa is prepared for check-in.

The rental price should be specified with the currency in which the price is expected to be paid. Method payments such as check, PayPal, credit card, Zelle or Venmo could be specified optionally.

It is also essential to include the terms of the payment. Is full payment due before a specific date? Is there a deposit followed by partial payments due on particular dates?

It is often the case that renters must pay separate charges at checkout time, which are not included in the rental price paid upfront to the owner. Such charges may include:

In this case, the rental agreement should specify these charges.

A rental agreement should specify the terms and conditions under which the reservation can be changed or canceled. It is not uncommon for timeshare rental stays to have strict cancellation policies, due to the resort or timeshare developer policies.

It is essential to have clarity about the terms and conditions of changing or canceling. Please rest assured that even when our rentals are strict, we work with the owners to help them re-rent their stay if they cannot go, or to change the reservation to another family member’s name, provided sufficient advance notice!

Finally, please consider other important disclaimers in the rental agreement. This section may specify amenities that may or may not be available at the resort during the stay.  Some resorts include specific amenities, such as golf or water park access, that may be important to the guest.

Another important aspect is who incurs liabilities / has responsibility in case of damages that occur during the guest’s stay.