Question about renting in less than 30 days

[FindingFigment]

I've never rented before but I have been responding to adds on the R/T forum for my dates which are less than 30 days away. I know it's best to check references and pay in a way that provides some protection. But are there any other issues I should be aware of given the short notice? Are there rules for DVC members that affect whether they would want to rent to someone less than 30 days out?

Thanks in advance!

 

[chalee94]

Are there rules for DVC members that affect whether they would want to rent to someone less than 30 days out?

yep - if a DVC member has to cancel a reservation less than 30 days out, it makes it extremely difficult to get any use out of those pts. so many members will not take a chance and rent on such short notice.

also, timeshares tend to book up earlier - most owners book at least 6 months out and many book 10-11 months out. so availability 30 days out can be very spotty and many owners won't bother since they know it will be difficult if not impossible to find anything...

so if you are not getting many responses, don't be surprised. the same thing could happen if you were looking for something 4-5 months out but trying to find a villa for a super-busy period, such as early december...

 

[FindingFigment]

yep - if a DVC member has to cancel a reservation less than 30 days out, it makes it extremely difficult to get any use out of those pts. so many members will not take a chance and rent on such short notice.

also, timeshares tend to book up earlier - most owners book at least 6 months out and many book 10-11 months out. so availability 30 days out can be very spotty and many owners won't bother since they know it will be difficult if not impossible to find anything...

so if you are not getting many responses, don't be surprised. the same thing could happen if you were looking for something 4-5 months out but trying to find a villa for a super-busy period, such as early december...

Oh I see. Yes, that would definitely keep me from wanting to rent to someone under those conditions. I think I just got my hopes up when I saw a couple of people listing points that had to be used by the end of this month. I guess I'll just keep my FD ressie at Pop and go visit some of the DVC's to see how I like them (researching for possible resale purchase).

Thank you for taking the time to explain it to me.

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you are wanting to rent a reservation that starts less than 31 days from now, most likely the member will want full payment just to make the reservation. So they don't get stuck with a reservation that they cannot use if you fail to pay them. Most members expect full payment prior to 31 days out for other reservations, so you should expect to do this.

 

[FindingFigment]

If you are wanting to rent a reservation that starts less than 31 days from now, most likely the member will want full payment just to make the reservation. So they don't get stuck with a reservation that they cannot use if you fail to pay them. Most members expect full payment prior to 31 days out for other reservations, so you should expect to do this.

Ok, thanks Deb! That's understandable....and even more reason to ask for references from the seller and only deal with someone who has a solid reputation here on DIS.

 

[crisi]

On the other hand, if a member has to cancel their own trip on short notice, they may wish to try and rent rather than have the points put into holding - particularly if it looks like they'll be unable to travel before the points expire. So it can be a win/win for owner and renter - sometimes these "fire sale" points can go for pretty cheap. In those cases, specific dates are already booked - you are just "stepping into" their existing reservation.