• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Question about renting exchange weeks (I am renting from an owner)

natarajanv

TUG Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2009
Messages
636
Reaction score
294
Points
423
The owner says he deposited his home week at his home resort and got an exchange week from RCI at the same resort. Since he owns at that resort is it safe to rent that week from him? He says he will get me an RCI guest certificate?
 

theo

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2007
Messages
9,032
Reaction score
2,268
Points
648
Location
New England Coast
The owner says he deposited his home week at his home resort and got an exchange week from RCI at the same resort. Since he owns at that resort is it safe to rent that week from him? He says he will get me an RCI guest certificate?

RCI (and II) terms and conditions of membership specifically prohibit renting out exchanges, but it's an interesting wrinkle that the intrepid "landlord" here supposedly owns a home week at the same resort but swapped it for a different week. That still seems to me to be "renting an exchange", but I dunno. :ponder:

If you keep it on the "down low" and obtain a Guest Certificate and do not disclose at check-in that you rented from that person, you could be o.k.

You could call the resort and (without getting involved in or disclosing any unnecessary side details) simply ask if this person owns what he says owns there.
If they won't answer the question, or start asking questions of their own, or if they indicate that they've never heard of him, I would not take the risk and I would simply not proceed with the rental. That's just me. YMMV.
 
Last edited:

Egret1986

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
4,021
Reaction score
560
Points
499
Location
Coastal Southeast Virginia
The owner says he deposited his home week at his home resort and got an exchange week from RCI at the same resort. Since he owns at that resort is it safe to rent that week from him? He says he will get me an RCI guest certificate?

I own a week in RCI Points and have to reserve it 13 months prior to check-in. It is a fixed deeded week. I rent it out each year. I have to get a Guest Certificate and pay RCI for it even though it is my fixed deeded week. I think that is BS and am considering removing it from RCI Points in the future since it is a prime week and I always rent it out. Since it is my HOME week, it is not against RCI rules for me to rent it. Therefore, the TUG mantra that if someone rents a week to you and has to provide an RCI Guest Certificate, then it's against RCI rules; that is not always the case. Perhaps this owner has a float week. By the owner stating that he "deposited" his home week and got an "exchange" for another week at the same resort, that does sound like something that may be against RCI rules.

As stated by Theo, if it's kept on the "down low" and it's not disclosed that you rented the week, you could be okay. Just realize that there is a potential risk involved.

You could ask the owner if it's okay to call RCI to verify that it is within RCI rules to rent this owner's exchange from him. If the owner knows that this is something against RCI's rules, then he's not going to let you do that. If he's clueless about RCI's rules on renting exchanges (which many people are), then it may be a wake-up call to this owner. On the other hand, some Vacation Guides at RCI are also clueless and have been known to give bad information.

If you have concerns, move on.
 

VacationForever

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2010
Messages
16,196
Reaction score
10,607
Points
1,048
Location
Somewhere Out There
I own a week in RCI Points and have to reserve it 13 months prior to check-in. It is a fixed deeded week. I rent it out each year. I have to get a Guest Certificate and pay RCI for it even though it is my fixed deeded week. I think that is BS and am considering removing it from RCI Points in the future since it is a prime week and I always rent it out. Since it is my HOME week, it is not against RCI rules for me to rent it. Therefore, the TUG mantra that if someone rents a week to you and has to provide an RCI Guest Certificate, then it's against RCI rules; that is not always the case. Perhaps this owner has a float week. By the owner stating that he "deposited" his home week and got an "exchange" for another week at the same resort, that does sound like something that may be against RCI rules.

As stated by Theo, if it's kept on the "down low" and it's not disclosed that you rented the week, you could be okay. Just realize that there is a potential risk involved.

You could ask the owner if it's okay to call RCI to verify that it is within RCI rules to rent this owner's exchange from him. If the owner knows that this is something against RCI's rules, then he's not going to let you do that. If he's clueless about RCI's rules on renting exchanges (which many people are), then it may be a wake-up call to this owner. On the other hand, some Vacation Guides at RCI are also clueless and have been known to give bad information.

If you have concerns, move on.
I am confused. As you own a fixed deeded week, why do you need to book through RCI Points system? Anything that passes through an Exchange company becomes an exchange which prohibits rental.
 

Egret1986

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
4,021
Reaction score
560
Points
499
Location
Coastal Southeast Virginia
You have to book your Home Week through RCI if it is in their RCI Points program. There's no way around that. Otherwise, it reverts to the allotted number of annual points. In order for me not to have to do that, I will have to remove it from the program and it will become a traditional fixed week again and RCI will no longer be in the mix. I like RCI Points a lot vs the RCI Weeks program. However, their fees are becoming cost-prohibitive. I rarely deposit to RCI anymore. It's more beneficial for me to rent my weeks since they are prime beach weeks. I have wanted to keep a foot in the "RCI Points door", but it's making less sense for me each year.
 

VacationForever

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2010
Messages
16,196
Reaction score
10,607
Points
1,048
Location
Somewhere Out There
You have to book your Home Week through RCI if it is in their RCI Points program. There's no way around that. Otherwise, it reverts to the allotted number of annual points. In order for me not to have to do that, I will have to remove it from the program and it will become a traditional fixed week again and RCI will no longer be in the mix. I like RCI Points a lot vs the RCI Weeks program. However, their fees are becoming cost-prohibitive. I rarely deposit to RCI anymore. It's more beneficial for me to rent my weeks since they are prime beach weeks. I have wanted to keep a foot in the "RCI Points door", but it's making less sense for me each year.
Many years ago, my Sheraton Vistana Resort was "converted" to RCI points but I could continue to use it without going through RCI points.
 

Egret1986

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
4,021
Reaction score
560
Points
499
Location
Coastal Southeast Virginia
Many years ago, my Sheraton Vistana Resort was "converted" to RCI points but I could continue to use it without going through RCI points.

I've been an RCI Points member for a long, long time. I don't ever remember having to get a Guest Certificate in the past for my Home Week. This might be a Diamond Resorts thing or something. DRI acquired this resort recently and nothing will ever be the same. DRI is affiliated with Interval. However, this particular resort was a recent acquisition of Gold Key Resorts. So when DRI acquired the Gold Key Resorts, they had to deal with the one resort that was sold as RCI Points to a lot of owners. The transition has been awkward is the nicest thing that I can say about the acquisition.
 

theo

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2007
Messages
9,032
Reaction score
2,268
Points
648
Location
New England Coast
<snip> DRI is affiliated with Interval. <snip>

I am not challenging this statement; I just don't fully understand it. I have no knowledge about DRI and no longer have membership with either RCI or II.

Are you saying that all DRI properties are necessarily affiliated only with II as their exchange company, or are you instead perhaps indicating that there is some sort of other "relationship" between DRI and II? I hope it's not the latter --- whatever II's shortcomings may be, I would hope that II would never choose to get any more "cozy" with the likes of DRI than a long arm's length exchange company association.

Just trying to better understand the facts here. :shrug:
 
Last edited:

Egret1986

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
4,021
Reaction score
560
Points
499
Location
Coastal Southeast Virginia
I am not challenging this statement; I just don't fully understand it. I have no knowledge about DRI and no longer have membership with either RCI or II.

Are you saying that all DRI properties are necessarily affiliated only with II as their exchange company, or are you instead perhaps indicating that there is some sort of other "relationship" between DRI and II? I hope it's not the latter --- whatever II's shortcomings may be, I would hope that II wouldn't ever choose to get any more "cozy" with the likes of DRI than an arm's length exchange company association.

Just trying to better understand the facts here. :shrug:

Got some time on your hands for reading? I'm not sure I can give understanding on anything. But you asked and I'll give you some of my history/experience. I've never been a member of Interval, only RCI (Weeks and Points).

I had no real knowledge of DRI prior to its unexpected and unwelcome acquisition of my group of resorts through Gold Key Resorts (4 Virginia Beach, and subsequently 1 Outer Banks) in 2015. The Virginia Beach Gold Key Resorts were previously only affiliated with Interval for exchange purposes. Then GKR acquired the Outer Banks resort, which was only affiliated with RCI (and many intervals had been sold as RCI Points) in 2014. Everything was humming along at that point because I really liked the product that GKR offered. The developer was local to my area and their resorts in Virginia Beach were superior to the other local resorts. I was quite pleased when news came that they had acquired the Outer Banks property since I had been an owner there for many years. However, the resort was headed towards bankruptcy. I liked the resort and area and I liked GKR. Their plans for the Outer Banks property were very exciting. The impact of the Interval vs RCI affiliation was never felt because of the short-lived acquisition by GKR.

It was announced in 2015 that DRI had acquired all the GKR properties. My only knowledge at that point of DRI was the negativity that I had read here on TUG. I was never concerned because I knew that I would never have any inclination to become a DRI owner. I never took into account that I could one day be an involuntary DRI owner through acquisition. At the time of the GKR acquisition, I purchased several weeks at the Outer Banks resort. Again, I was familiar with the property and loved the area, and I was familiar with GKR as an owner and liked their properties. Unfortunately, I got caught up in something that I never anticipated would happen. I had my head in the sand, obviously. It has been an expensive and time-consuming lesson learned about what can happen.

Not only do I not like DRI and their corporate style, but having several weeks at a resort in RCI Points and DRI being affiliated with Interval only has caused untold headaches and heartache. It has been a nightmare. Last year (with a leap year also involved), DRI was working with two different exchange company calendars. They were swimming in waters that they were not familiar with and their online system was not configured to handle. It was very problematic and costly to me as an owner. I ended up pulling all but one of my weeks out of RCI Points (8). Fortunately, they are all prime Summer weeks and as fixed weeks I still have the ability to rent them for more than the maintenance fees (so far). DRI actually began charging me the $25 daily amenity fee for all these weeks in RCI Points. Even though they were not exchanges, but were my home weeks; DRI reasoned that they were exchanges. I fought these charges and spent many hours each week trying to resolve the issues related to these weeks in RCI Points. DRI never tried to work this out with owners. Why would they? It was an easy revenue source. It was just tough sh?t! That's when I finally cried "Uncle" and removed my weeks from RCI Points. I never paid the costs for conversion, but someone had in the past. If I hadn't had the DRI issues, I would have kept them in RCI Points. However, it was a time-consuming and expensive proposition that I couldn't continue to handle without losing my mind. The DRI acquisition completely changed my mostly positive attitude about timeshare ownership, which began in 1984. It worked for me all those years. DRI changed all that in a matter of months. Unfortunately, I have found that the DRI name attached to these former GKR properties has greatly diminished their desirability and value since the acquisition. I'm sure that the escalating maintenance fees have also been a contributing factor.

Anyway, the only affiliation that I know of regarding DRI and Interval is regarding exchange. Their previous non-affiliation with RCI Points is wherein the problems lie. I have the one remaining week in RCI Points to keep a toe-hold in the program. However, having to purchase an RCI Guest Certificate for my Home Week (deeded fixed week) when I rent it is appalling to me. I never remember having to do this in the past. I can only assume that this is another DRI requirement. It is nearly impossible to get "concrete" information on things that are RCI/DRI specific. This DRI acquisition, to my detriment, became a an unpaid part-time job for about 18 months. I made bad assumptions and I've paid the price.

Things have since quieted down some and I don't have to expend the same time and energy that I did in the past. However, nothing with DRI ever seems to flow smoothly and requires extra work (and ultimately frustration) to accomplish the simplest of things. Any negatives about DRI are well-earned. One day in the future, I hope to be DRI-less.

All this is to say; I don't know anything about the "potential coziness" between DRI and Interval now or in the future. But expect the unexpected, take it into account and never say "never." :doh:I failed to do that in this situation. :wall:
 

tschwa2

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2008
Messages
16,002
Reaction score
4,676
Points
748
Location
Maryland
Resorts Owned
A few in S and VA, a single resort in NC, MD, PA, and UT, plus Jamaica and the Bahamas
I own an RCI points week in which the resort lets rci completely control the reservation process for points owners. If I reserve my home float week through rci prior to 12 months (between 13-12 months out) I do receive and RCI confirmation. There is no fee for the reservation. If I want to rent out the week I can but I do need an RCI guest certificate. I do not have to pay for the guest certificate. There is no indication on the certificate that it is a home week, it looks like any other RCI guest certificate. If I reserve 12-11 months prior I have to pay a $50 reservation fee and would need to pay a guest cert fee and per RCI would not have the right to rent out the week. This would be considered a home resort reservation not a home week reservation. I could reserve any week, any size with the same fees and restrictions. If I reserve my week any time less than 11 months I pay the full exchange fee, and would pay the guest resort fee and would not have the right to reserve the week.

I own another RCI points resort that did not hand over points reservations completely to RCI. If I want my home week I need to call the resort at 13 months out and let them know they keep the week from being auto deposited into RCI and they record the guest on their end- they don't actually offer any type of guest certificates.

It sounds like DRI has the type where RCI has complete control of the reservation and since on there end a home resort reservation looks exactly like any other exchange reservation has chosen not to bother with the distinction- (looking at the date the reservation was confirmed) to avoid the $25 per day fee. I am surprised that the RCI guest certificate has a fee but to be honest I haven't made a home resort reservation in a few years at that one so maybe they changed it for everyone.

While there are other deeded ownerships not enrolled in the DRI club or trusts, I don't think any other DRI resorts were sold as RCI points and still have RCI point owners now under the DRI management.
 

Free2Roam

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2010
Messages
1,734
Reaction score
533
Points
323
Location
Maryland
Resorts Owned
Club Wyndham, Quarter House, a handful of East Coast beach resorts
@Egret1986 - Wow! Thanks for all that info. I've considered purchasing intervals at one of the VA Beach now-DRI resorts. They are now crossed off my list.
 

Egret1986

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
4,021
Reaction score
560
Points
499
Location
Coastal Southeast Virginia
@Egret1986 - Wow! Thanks for all that info. I've considered purchasing intervals at one of the VA Beach now-DRI resorts. They are now crossed off my list.

I haven't had the issues with the Virginia Beach resorts, like I have at the Outer Banks resort. The Virginia Beach resorts were already affiliated with Interval. The RCI Points relationship to that resort is what caused many of the headaches and heartaches. However, I have recently sold off 6 of my Virginia Beach DRI weeks for much less than I sold similar weeks prior to the DRI acquisition.

I have mostly owned at independent resorts and that is what I am used to. Although these Virginia Beach resorts were developer-controlled, I still liked Gold Key Resorts. They were small and local. However, I have never been an owner at resorts where the developer was huge like DRI. DRI seems too far removed from the ownership and I still have to do follow-up after follow-up to get anything completed. I have just sent my third email to have the $7 ARDA "voluntary" fee removed from my contracts and have them add the maintenance fee to one contract that is showing $0 maintenance fee. The first email was completely overlooked. The second removed most of the ARDA fees, but not all. The contract showing $0 maintenance fee in the payment section has not been corrected. I'd be fine with a zero maintenance fee; however, when I go in to book my 2018 week, it won't allow it because the maintenance fee for 2018 has not been paid.

I only shared a small portion of what I have experienced since becoming an involuntary DRI owner.

I understand that things have to be "worked out" with an acquisition and not all things go smoothly. I did have many more contracts than the average owner, so problems were felt ten-fold. I am hopeful for a better upcoming year in 2018. However, my goal is to divest of all DRI contracts. I don't ever see this relationship working for me.

Since I live near Virginia Beach and close to the Outer Banks, I look forward to last minute getaways and rentals. I'm in more of a position to take advantage of these opportunities than in years past. I don't require prime season and love these areas during shoulder season. ;)
 

RNCollins

TUG Lifetime Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2016
Messages
3,329
Reaction score
1,200
Points
399
Location
Borscht Belt
Resorts Owned
Tradewinds, Divi, Quarter House, Casa Ybel
I own an RCI points week in which the resort lets rci completely control the reservation process for points owners. If I reserve my home float week through rci prior to 12 months (between 13-12 months out) I do receive and RCI confirmation. There is no fee for the reservation. If I want to rent out the week I can but I do need an RCI guest certificate. I do not have to pay for the guest certificate. There is no indication on the certificate that it is a home week, it looks like any other RCI guest certificate. If I reserve 12-11 months prior I have to pay a $50 reservation fee and would need to pay a guest cert fee and per RCI would not have the right to rent out the week. This would be considered a home resort reservation not a home week reservation. I could reserve any week, any size with the same fees and restrictions. If I reserve my week any time less than 11 months I pay the full exchange fee, and would pay the guest resort fee and would not have the right to reserve the week.

This is exactly how my Divi RCI Points timeshares work.
 

Larry M

TUG Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2012
Messages
300
Reaction score
162
Points
253
Location
Raleigh, NC
I I have just sent my third email to have the $7 ARDA "voluntary" fee removed from my contracts and have them add the maintenance fee to one contract that is showing $0 maintenance fee. The first email was completely overlooked. The second removed most of the ARDA fees, but not all. The contract showing $0 maintenance fee in the payment section has not been corrected. I'd be fine with a zero maintenance fee; however, when I go in to book my 2018 week, it won't allow it because the maintenance fee for 2018 has not been paid.

That's easy to fix. Just send them a check for $0.00 and when they process it, you're good. If you want to make sure they process it, make the check for $0.01 or $1.00.
 

Deb & Bill

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2007
Messages
289
Reaction score
100
Points
403
Location
Marco Island, FL
Resorts Owned
DVC - OKW, Sold BRV; Used to own Charter Club Marco Island
Disney Vacation Club has said they would cancel any RCI trades that had been sold. RCI has said the same about trades into DVC. But like all DVC policies, they pick and choose the ones they like to apply.
 

rickk

TUG Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2011
Messages
7
Reaction score
2
Points
213
Location
Buffalo Grove, Illinois
I am not challenging this statement; I just don't fully understand it. I have no knowledge about DRI and no longer have membership with either RCI or II.

Are you saying that all DRI properties are necessarily affiliated only with II as their exchange company, or are you instead perhaps indicating that there is some sort of other "relationship" between DRI and II? I hope it's not the latter --- whatever II's shortcomings may be, I would hope that II would never choose to get any more "cozy" with the likes of DRI than a long arm's length exchange company association.

Just trying to better understand the facts here. :shrug:
I have read every word of these posts and I am no closer to understanding what anyone is talking about. I kinda know about RCI but I don't have a clue about any of the organization's being talked about here. I don't know what II or DRI even stand for. Somebody please point me in the right direction. Thank You. Rick
 

DeniseM

Moderator
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
57,668
Reaction score
9,088
Points
1,849
Resorts Owned
WKORV, WKV, 2-SDO, 4-Kauai Beach Villas, Island Park Village (Yellowstone), Hyatt High Sierra, Dolphin's Cove (Anaheim)
In simplest terms: Most exchange companies (like RCI) do not permit you to make an exchange and then rent that exchange to a 3rd party.

If you discreetly (and rarely) rent an exchange to a friend or family member, you probably won't get caught.

If you start a cottage industry renting exchanges to strangers, and advertising on the internet, you are likely to get caught. If you get caught, the consequences can be harsh, and it's risky for both the owner and the renter.
 

LannyPC

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2010
Messages
4,777
Reaction score
2,406
Points
448
Location
British Columbia
I don't know what II or DRI even stand for. Somebody please point me in the right direction.

II is Interval International, an exchange company.
DRI is Diamond Resorts International, a timeshare company with resorts all over the US and other parts of the world.
RCI is Resorts Condominium International, another exchange company and a big competitor to II.

The exchange companies allow owners to deposit a week they own and exchange it for another week. So if I own a week in Florida in June and for some reason will not be staying there, I can deposit that week with an exchange company. Then I will hope that the exchange company has a week available that I will want to use. I pay the exchange fee and I get that week.

Now addressing the main issue that was raised in this thread, if I acquire a week via an exchange (as I just described), I cannot rent that week out. So we are warning the OP to make sure that the week that someone is trying to rent out to him/her was not acquired via an exchange.
 

bendadin

TUG Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2016
Messages
1,932
Reaction score
620
Points
223
Location
Virginia
Disney Vacation Club has said they would cancel any RCI trades that had been sold. RCI has said the same about trades into DVC. But like all DVC policies, they pick and choose the ones they like to apply.

They are all over eBay so I don't think that policy is working.
 

RJones

newbie
Joined
Aug 18, 2017
Messages
59
Reaction score
4
Points
8
Do you think it´s best to use PayPal when renting your home week, or use some other form of money exchange?
 

WalnutBaron

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2008
Messages
2,193
Reaction score
2,585
Points
574
Location
California
Resorts Owned
Hyatt Highlands Inn, Hyatt Pinon Pointe
In simplest terms: Most exchange companies (like RCI) do not permit you to make an exchange and then rent that exchange to a 3rd party.

If you discreetly (and rarely) rent an exchange to a friend or family member, you probably won't get caught.

If you start a cottage industry renting exchanges to strangers, and advertising on the internet, you are likely to get caught. If you get caught, the consequences can be harsh, and it's risky for both the owner and the renter.
Beautifully and succinctly stated. For me, the bottom line is that the risk is just not worth it. I've plunked down a lot of $$ over the years to own and maintain my timeshares. Why would I want to risk my membership in good standing by renting? A very viable (and free!) alternative is to do a direct exchange through TUG. When you exchange with another TUGger, you're most likely working with someone who upholds high ethical standards, understands that discretion is necessary to make everything work, and offers a forum through these BBS boards to discuss any issues that can come up. We've done a couple of direct exchanges over the years and had great success with them--all done with a simple one-page contract.
 
Top