Do Maint. fees ever go up?

[kenman]

I was wondering do they ever raise the maintance fees?

 

[JimC]

They generally increase at about the rate of inflation. Past couple of years they have been higher due to wage, health benefits and insurance costs which have increased more than CPI.

 

[LisaS]

This web page lists the dues increases for each resort over the years: http://personalpages.tds.net/~rb/DIS/DVC/DVCDuesHistory.htm

 

[dianeschlicht]

We actually saw a decrease at OKW a few years back.

 

[drusba]

Understand that dues are not arbitrary but are based on expected costs. Your dues go to maintaining and running the resort, transportation (busses and boats), reserves for projected future repairs (e.g., eventually roofs have to be replaced), property taxes, insurance, management fees (a set percent of the total dues and out of which comes most of the cost for running Member Services), other things. They are determined based on the predicted amounts needed for all the categories per year. They rise when costs rise. A huge amount of everything is labor costs which rise as wages rise, property taxes tend to go up not down, likewise insurance costs and beachside resorts (HH and VB) can usually expect higher costs there. In other words, you should be overjoyed if dues go down some years but should expect instead fairly steady increases as the years progress.

 

[Caskbill]

While maintenance fees go up, they will be a smaller out of pocket increase than a corresponding increase in a regular hotel room.

For example, you have a DVC studio that 'costs' 11 points/night, and dues are about $4.50/point. That's equivalent to paying $49.50/night.

A moderate WDW hotel may go for $125/night plus tax, or about $140/night.

Let's say both the dues and the hotel go up by 3% in a year.

Your DVC room now 'costs' you $50.99/night, an increase of $1.49.

The hotel room now costs you $144.20/night, an increase of $4.20.

For a 5 night stay, the difference between the two is a difference of $13.55.

May not be much, but by year 20 with 3% inflation each year, your DVC room only goes to $89.40/night, but your hotel room is $252.85/night.

 

[drakethib]

While maintenance fees go up, they will be a smaller out of pocket increase than a corresponding increase in a regular hotel room.

For example, you have a DVC studio that 'costs' 11 points/night, and dues are about $4.50/point. That's equivalent to paying $49.50/night.

A moderate WDW hotel may go for $125/night plus tax, or about $140/night.

Let's say both the dues and the hotel go up by 3% in a year.

Your DVC room now 'costs' you $50.99/night, an increase of $1.49.

The hotel room now costs you $144.20/night, an increase of $4.20.

For a 5 night stay, the difference between the two is a difference of $13.55.

May not be much, but by year 20 with 3% inflation each year, your DVC room only goes to $89.40/night, but your hotel room is $252.85/night.

Great way to look at it Cask.

 

[jarestel]

Good heavens, practically every year they rise. Once in a great while members have reported a decrease, but the overall trend has been, and probably will continue to be, up-up and away!

 

[rinkwide]

We actually saw a decrease at OKW a few years back.

Braggart.