How Do Timeshares Work with 11th Hour Change of Plans? Proven Solutions to Get Value for Your Week Even at The Last Minute
It happens to us all. Sometimes you, family, friends, or even renters need to cancel vacations at the last minute. If you find yourself past your reservation cancellation window but can’t use it, don’t worry! There are still ways to get value from your week, so it doesn’t go to waste. I’ll explain the ins and outs of your options to help you make the most of your timeshare ownership. BONUS: If you’re open to spontaneous vacation planning or love resort bargains, I’ll show you how to score timeshare rentals for up to 83% off, too!
How Can I Quickly Find a Renter?
If you’re left holding a reservation you can’t use at the last minute, your first choice is most likely to find a rental. Here are step-by-step ways to land a rental for your reservation to help cover the cost of your maintenance fees even when the clock is ticking.
1. Don’t be Shy! Share with Friends and Family
You might have shared stories of your wonderful vacations or even taken friends and family with you to timeshare resorts. You never know who may be looking for a last-minute vacation in your social circle or who has been searching for a hotel but is coming up empty handed. Sharing your opportunity can help someone you know. It’s a win-win.
With social media, it’s easier than ever to get the word out about your available rental. Use a visual “ad” in your post to grab people’s attention when they’re scrolling, give them a glimpse of the beautiful resort and highlight how renting directly from an owner saves them money. Grab my Canva Facebook template for your post totally free!
2. Rent to Timeshare Fans with Peace of Mind
If you’re super busy, uncomfortable managing rental agreements, negotiating online payments, or worried about insurance coverage, KOALA is a convenient all-in-one solution for renting your reservation, even at the last minute. Unlike other timeshare rental companies, there’s no fee to list your unit, only an 8% commission afterward. Just sign up, set a competitive price, and let them manage the rental process!
Once your listing is live on KOALA, you can spread the word online to help increase your chances of getting a rental on short notice. Besides your own personal social media accounts, you can share your KOALA listing with thousands of people already familiar with your resort, club chain, or timeshares in various Facebook groups. While there are Timeshare groups strictly for owners to connect with each other, there are many that allow rental postings. Just request to join a handful of the below groups, grab your Koala listing URL and create a post highlighting your rental deal!
Timeshare Resort, Owners, and Rental Facebook Groups
You’ll love that KOALA will take it from here and potential renters will love that your listing is verified and payment transactions are secure.
- Wyndham Owners Facebook Groups
- Marriott Owners Facebook Groups
- Marriott Vacation Club – Private Rentals by owners
- Marriott Vacation Club Users Group (Buy/Sell/Rent Points-Reservations)
- Marriott and Vistana/Starwood Owners Rent, Trade & Sale Board
- Marriott Vacation Club Owner Rent, Chance, or Sale
- Maui Marriott Vacation Club Owners Ka’anapali Beach
- Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club Owners and Resellers
- Marriott’s Beachplace Towers Owners and Resellers
- Marriott Aruba Surf Club Owners
- Aruba Surf Club (Marriott)
- Marriott Ocean Pointe Owners Group
- Marriott Newport Coast Owners and Resellers
- Bluegreen Owners Facebook Groups
What If My Club Won’t Let Me Rent This Year?
If your club or Wyndham’s new peak season policy prevents you from renting out your week, you can deposit it with an exchange company instead. In essence, you’re saving your week and turning it into another vacation at one of the many resorts in their network around the world. With many clubs auto-enrolling members in one of the two leading exchange companies, depositing your week with RCI or Interval International is not only cost-effective, and straightforward, but gives you thousands of resort options to choose from once you’re ready to travel.
1. How Do Timeshares Work with RCI Last Minute Deposits?
Resorts Condominiums International (RCI) allows you to deposit your week as late as the day before your check-in date and still receive a portion of your trading power currency. Deposits 15 days or more before check-in qualify for their Deposit Restore program. For a $69 fee, you get 100% of the trading power for your week as if you deposited it nine months ago. It is a great option for owners with high-value weeks, as restoring your full trading power can translate into a trip during peak travel or multiple weeks of vacation in the future. If you’ve never used RCI before, check out my free tutorials I developed to help my fellow owners new to timeshare exchanging.
2. How Do Timeshares Work with Interval International Last Minute Deposits?
Interval International allows you to deposit your week up until 14 days before check-in and exchange it for another vacation within two years. Deposits between 59 days and 14 days prior are considered late deposits and can only be used to secure rooms 59 days out from your new vacation check-in date.
Score Epic Deals with Last Minute Timeshare Rentals
If you’re open to a variety of destinations and making vacation plans closer to your travel date, you can grab some really fantastic resort deals in the timeshare world.
1. Your Home Resort
Does your home resort have a Space Available Program? Some resorts offer available rooms to owners at the last minute for only the cost of housekeeping. When our Vail Resorts timeshare is under 80% capacity, they open the vacant rooms to owners three days in advance. We take advantage of this program to secure practically free long weekend accommodations in shoulder season. Call your resort to see if they have a similar program.
2.Timeshare Exchange Companies
Owning a timeshare grants you access to almost all the timeshare exchange companies out there! When deposited weeks are still available close to check-in, they make them available as rentals for prices that are hard to pass up. You can grab additional weeks of vacation for as low as $299 a week, with no points needed!
- RCI, Interval International, and Expectations Interchange require a paid membership and a specific type of timeshare ownership to join.
- RTX and 7Across (formerly DAE) are free to join and also require a timeshare ownership to set up an account.
- Platinum Interchange, Trading Places International, and Trading Places Maui are free to join and don’t require you to own a timeshare to reserve rooms.
Take a moment to check-out these timeshare exchange companies and browse their last-minute rental deals. You never know what you may find!
3. TripBeat
TripBeat, owned by Travel + Leisure Co. (formerly Wyndham Destinations), offers week-long timeshare rentals from $399. If you don’t have an RCI Membership, it’s an alternative way to access the timeshare rental inventory typically offered in their Last Call program. The site is open to anyone and is free to register. While you won’t find the most in-demand resorts during peak travel periods, at that price it’s definitely worth a look to see what’s available!
4. KOALA
When you’re looking for a reservation for yourself, you never know what gems might be available in KOALA’s last-minute listings. As listings come directly from owners unable to use their timeshare, you could score rooms in top resorts even during the most in-demand weeks. From Hawaii to New York to Vail or St. Thomas, someone’s change of plans could be your next dream trip!
If you’re wondering more About How Timeshares Work, check out more resource articles on Planner at Heart:
- How Do Timeshares Work When I No Longer Want To Own It: How To Sell a Timeshare with 5 Proven Ways
- How Do Timeshares Work For Travel Hackers: Timeshare Hacks by an Owner for Other Owners
- How Do Timeshares Work for National Park Lovers: Timeshare Exchange Your Way to 70% of U.S. National Parks
- How Do Timeshares Work with RCI? An RCI Tutorial Series with Step-by-Step Instructions on Using the World’s Largest Timeshare Exchange Company
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