Do any of you have experience with renting already confirmed DVC reservations?

[RamblinWreck]

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this. It's not really rental board material since I'm not advertising anything.

I've looked a couple of times, just out of curiosity, at these websites that will list existing reservations. (posting some links below, not sure if any of them will be permitted on this board).

https://dvcrequest.com/dvc-guests/dedicated-reservations-for-rent

https://www.dvc-rental.com/deals

https://dvcrentalstore.com/guests/reservations/


Is it just me, or do the prices on these make absolutely no sense? I'm hoping someone can fill me in on what I'm not seeing.

There are many reservations out there that are less than a month away from their start date. So whoever booked them can't cancel the reservation anymore without their points going into holding. In other words, at this point they are pretty desperate. However, these reservations all seem to be listed at a PREMIUM compared to what it would cost me to just, say, go on the rental board on this forum and book a room for 7-11 months from now. Isn't that completely backwards? Shouldn't they be trying to offload these at like $10 per point?

I understand that there's probably some logic to the fact that if someone really wants to go to Disney a week from now, and they just now decided it, they will have a nearly impossible time booking a room. But very few people are desperate to visit Disney on a last minute trip, and even fewer of them will have the exact dates in mind that your pre-existing reservation is for. And even fewer of those will even be aware of these websites.

Do these rooms that are priced like this ever actually rent out?

 

[pianomanzano]

Shouldn't they be trying to offload these at like $10 per point?

They'll certainly pay you $10/point while they try and rent it out for $25-30/point as shown in some of these listings, especially if it's less than a month out and not at a prime location. That's what I was quoted from one of these sites ($7-10/point) that I would get paid if I chose to put up a reservation that was less than a month out. Granted it was a studio at Saratoga. They also said I was better off cancelling the reservation and putting those points into holding so that I could try and make a reservation for something like Poly to rent out to get more (which would probably more at the price point they pay out for normal point rentals at the 7 month mark). I'd say, based on activity on FB rental groups, that 1 to 2 night studio rentals are likely to be rented out as you see people looking for random nights here or there all the time, even if it's only a couple days out.

 

[BamaGuy44]

I've only done it once, we had extra points after our resale contract closed, and I was able to get 7 nights studio at Boardwalk. Check in date was roughly 60 days out. Listed on David's, had a renter within 48 hours at full price, $19 pp at the time. Maybe that's unusual, but I'm guessing not.

 

[cvjw]

I have rented out confirmed reservations with David’s - multiple single nights at the poly at the first of the year. All rented very quickly and I got $15.50 per point. I have also rented a couple of confirmed reservations during the pandemic. Paid $10 per point for BWV. It was great and so cheap then.

 

[RamblinWreck]

I've only done it once, we had extra points after our resale contract closed, and I was able to get 7 nights studio at Boardwalk. Check in date was roughly 60 days out. Listed on David's, had a renter within 48 hours at full price, $19 pp at the time. Maybe that's unusual, but I'm guessing not.

Nice!

Some of the ones I see have check in dates that are less than 10 days away and they are trying to get $23+ per point. I just don't see how this can be possible.

Two months out from a reservation makes a lot more sense to me to attempt to get a decent price. 1 week?

 

[BamaGuy44]

Nice!

Some of the ones I see have check in dates that are less than 10 days away and they are trying to get $23+ per point. I just don't see how this can be possible.

Two months out from a reservation makes a lot more sense to me to attempt to get a decent price. 1 week?

I guess it's a balance between the points being "distressed" and going to expire soon so the seller is getting nervous, and someone who really wants that last minute stay, and that's the only way they're getting a room so they'll pay whatever. I know David's does have a newsletter for last minute deals, that can be as low as $8 per point. But to be honest demand is so high right now there aren't many deep discounts. And I know in my case, I was prepared to let just my sister use the reservation if it didn't sell rather than selling it at a deep discount. May be some of that as well.

 

[RamblinWreck]

I guess it's a balance between the points being "distressed" and going to expire soon so the seller is getting nervous, and someone who really wants that last minute stay, and that's the only way they're getting a room so they'll pay whatever. I know David's does have a newsletter for last minute deals, that can be as low as $8 per point. But to be honest demand is so high right now there aren't many deep discounts. And I know in my case, I was prepared to let just my sister use the reservation if it didn't sell rather than selling it at a deep discount. May be some of that as well.

Yeah I think you’re absolutely right about the balance. I just can’t imagine with a week to go before check in that the balance favors the seller.

Most of these sites don’t even have an option to submit an offer other than the asking price, either.

Just as an experiment, I sent in a message to a couple of these sites that said I’m kind of interested in a listing on your site, but not at this elevated price. I’ll offer you 1/3 of what you’re asking.

I actually got a couple of responses from the websites saying they brought the offer to the seller and they have a counter offer. They both countered in the vicinity of 55%-60% of their asking price.

I think these sites may be doing these sellers a disservice by not having an official means to make offers.

 

[pianomanzano]

Yeah I think you’re absolutely right about the balance. I just can’t imagine with a week to go before check in that the balance favors the seller.

Most of these sites don’t even have an option to submit an offer other than the asking price, either.

Just as an experiment, I sent in a message to a couple of these sites that said I’m kind of interested in a listing on your site, but not at this elevated price. I’ll offer you 1/3 of what you’re asking.

I actually got a couple of responses from the websites saying they brought the offer to the seller and they have a counter offer. They both countered in the vicinity of 55%-60% of their asking price.

I think these sites may be doing these sellers a disservice by not having an official means to make offers.

I know it’s not something they necessarily advertise but I’ve heard at least one of these sites say that the rental price isn’t necessarily firm and are open to negotiating the price. I assume 99% of their renters though aren’t aware of it and just see the overall discount compared to rack rates and make a decision based on that.

 

[BamaGuy44]

Yeah I think you’re absolutely right about the balance. I just can’t imagine with a week to go before check in that the balance favors the seller.

Most of these sites don’t even have an option to submit an offer other than the asking price, either.

Just as an experiment, I sent in a message to a couple of these sites that said I’m kind of interested in a listing on your site, but not at this elevated price. I’ll offer you 1/3 of what you’re asking.

I actually got a couple of responses from the websites saying they brought the offer to the seller and they have a counter offer. They both countered in the vicinity of 55%-60% of their asking price.

I think these sites may be doing these sellers a disservice by not having an official means to make offers.

Honestly it's not in the site's best interest to make it easy to make lower offers, assuming that almost all the rentals will go for full price. Definitely a smart move to offer less though, my mom always told me if you don't ask, you don't get!

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

These sites could also be advertising full price on their site in case someone comes along, while offering reduced prices at Expedia or Travelocity. This assumes they paid the owner, say, $10 per point, and are looking to sell for a spread above that.

 

[TheDailyMoo]

This thread is very interesting to me as I have had the Swan booked for months for a trip in a few weeks and keep checking all the sites for a confirmed reservation that would blow me out of the water and make me cancel the Swan. Months of waiting and not only do the dates not work unless I want to do split stays (which I really don't) but the prices have been a huge turn off. I love that OP you made an unsolicited offer through email and actually got back a counter! I think it's too late now because also much of the inventory for the next few weeks is dwindling but I will keep that in mind in case I ever look at this route again.

 

[lions1995]

often time, these reservations are at hard to get resorts. Plus I see so many postings looking for reservations in the next 30 days. If the reservation works for them, then great.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

i have rented my points off and on for close to 10 years…..
I would think the same as you that short notice…. the owner is going to lose their shirt…
However, I always seem to get more email that start “I know it’s last minute but do you have a confirmed reservation for next week….

and I usually post more than 11 months in advance of the first booking date….. with a line that say these points are valid for travel after some date 11 months in the future ….

never fails …. people can’t get the cash hotel room they want last minute and will pay anything to get the DVC room….IF the owner is willing to speculate ….. that can get 75 percent of rack ….

I have also seen some premium listings with owners asking 26 to 30 a point for holiday weeks that they either booked for themselves and could use, or booked on speculation and sat on….

To some it is a business like a cross between investing and sitting on a cash crop…

I don’t have the nerve to do that…

 

[W4WaltDisney]

I've posted my reservations before knowing that if I don't get a good price, I'll just use it myself.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

I've posted my reservations before knowing that if I don't get a good price, I'll just use it myself.

I’m currently doing that with a reservation

 

[FreeTime]

This has me wondering, I have two Xxxxx studios for the last week in xxxxx that I have been debating about trying to rent to offset a stay at DL. I haven’t wanted to deal with renting them myself and have questions back about “can you change the date on them?” So now I have to question is it hard to rent them with a set date.

Details removed.

 

[Best Aunt]

This has me wondering, I have two Xxxxx studios for the last week in xxxxx that I have been debating about trying to rent to offset a stay at DL. I haven’t wanted to deal with renting them myself and have questions back about “can you change the date on them?” So now I have to question is it hard to rent them with a set date.

Details removed.

You can look at David's and DVC Rental Store. There are tons of confirmed reservations listed. DVC Rental Store has 399. David's doesn't list the total and I'm too lazy to count it.

I don't know how fast they go.

The DVC Rental store website asks the Owner to fill in the lowest price per point that they are willing to take for a confirmed reservation, and says this about filling it out:
This is the lowest per point you'd be willing to take on the reservation if a guest makes an offer. Please note, our highest price per point payout is $18/point.

David's says this:
Pricing will follow our current model of standard and premium.
That's $18 per point for more than 7 months ahead at most resorts.
$16 per point for Hilton head, Vero Beach, Saratoga Springs and Old Key West.
Also $16 per point if the reservation is less than 7 months ahead.
But David's has a different pricing structure for dedicated reservations which are in less than 3 months.

David's: https://dvcrequest.com/

DVC Rental Store: https://dvcrentalstore.com/

 

[NVDISFamily]

I’m one of the silly ones who just booked at SSR last minute using one of these sites. Worked out well and saved some money vs cash rack rates at similar hotels off property given our timeframe of booking.