Rent points from a broker or privately?

[lp199]

Hi All,

I would like to rent DVC points for a one bedroom villa for a June 2020 trip. Would it be better for me to go through a broker like David’s or to rent directly from an owner via a message board?

In looking through the message board here, it seems that $17 pp is pretty standard which is what it would cost to go through a broker so I’m wondering what the benefit is going with someone privately?

This is a first time trip for us so I’m trying to make the best decisions I can. Thank you!

 

[crvetter]

The main advantage in booking yourself is you find the owner thus it can be quicker to get a reservation. Going through a broker is you are just 1 of hundreds of reservations the broker sends to the owners. Thus an owner skims through and selects whichever is most convenient for them.

You will likely find that booking within the 7 months to have quicker response on your own. As owners going through brokers are likely willing to delay their rental to 8-11 month window so that they get that premium on their points.

The disadvantage of private rentals is the owner will want 100% of the money upfront; whereas, the brokers want all or most of it; however, they hold back 25% from the owner as a "guarantee" that the owner doesn't cancel on you.

 

[JETSDAD]

Inside of 7 months you can often find points at $15 or less privately.

I do disagree with it being difficult to fill requests under 7 months with brokers. I've watched one of the broker pages for requests and most of the requests for reservations under 7 months get picked up very quickly. There are a lot of owners who decide to rent out their points who do not decide to do so in the 7-11 month window, or they are renting out non-premium points which make no difference as to timing and that includes a large block of rental points. Owners also get paid quicker on those reservations as they get the remainder of their payment once the renter checks in to their reservation.

I would just work off of what you're comfortable with and run the numbers. If a broker is going to be the same might as well go through them.

 

[Bing Showei]

All thing being equal, I’d feel more secure going through a broker, personally. The only advantage of a private party rental is that the broker may not have that inventory.

A VGC owner can be paid $14.50 to rent through a broker or $17.00 to do it privately. Some don’t mind the extra work for the additional 17% income which would cover most of the taxes on the income.

 

[SG131]

So $17 a point is common for points that don’t expire for awhile. Since you’re booking inside 6 months you will be able to find owners with points expiring sooner at a lower price. For example, don’t try to rent from a person that says they have March 2020 points. Those points are more appealing for someone who wants the 11 month advantage at that resort. You want to look for people who say their points are good for stays through July of this year. They will be a better price and will suit what you need. That said brokers do provide a bit more security.

 

[jerseyduke]

I would go through a Broker, however I will admit, I am not a trusting person.

If you go privately I would make sure the person had a contract (check the orange county comptroller, etc, etc)

 

[sndral]

Renting points is a private transaction. An owner can make a reservation, take your money, and then later cancel that reservation and Disney won’t get involved, you’d have to sue the owner for your funds. Also, DVC can cancel a reservation if the owner fails to pay their MFs, mortgage (if applicable,) or sells the contract. The brokers mitigate this risk by paying you back your money if the unexpected happens. Many people prefer to pay a broker a few dollars more for the peace of mind.
Since you’re looking for a 1 br. (1 br. villas tend to be available longer) in less than 7 months (when all points are basically equal) and are a first time renter, I’d go with a broker, especially if the cost to rent the points was the same as a private party.

 

[lp199]

Thanks everyone! I'll continue to explore my options with this. Aside from asking for references, checking the comptroller and asking for a contract, is there anything else I should be looking at if I work with a private owner?

 

[a742246]

Thanks everyone! I'll continue to explore my options with this. Aside from asking for references, checking the comptroller and asking for a contract, is there anything else I should be looking at if I work with a private owner?

If you are planning to rent from someone from the disboards I would see how many messages they posted, how long they have been using "disboards".

Someone who has posted over 500 times and been a member over 5 years invested a lot of time helping other Disney fans, I would bet they would be very reliable to rent from.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Thanks everyone! I'll continue to explore my options with this. Aside from asking for references, checking the comptroller and asking for a contract, is there anything else I should be looking at if I work with a private owner?

Head over to the Rent/Trade Board and read all the sticky threads at the top of the page. Read them once, read them twice before you post in response to a thread. BUT, do not respond to any private messages you get offering you points to rent if you did not initiate the contact with that person. Scammers are getting slimier and slimier out there, stealing real owner's information to sell you a fake reservation.

 

[CarolMN]

Check out the DIS Rent/Trade Board. The threads pinned to the top of that Forum are full of good advice for those considering a private rental, especially the one titled Required Reading!

 

[ppony]

Hi All,

I would like to rent DVC points for a one bedroom villa for a June 2020 trip. Would it be better for me to go through a broker like David’s or to rent directly from an owner via a message board?

In looking through the message board here, it seems that $17 pp is pretty standard which is what it would cost to go through a broker so I’m wondering what the benefit is going with someone privately?

This is a first time trip for us so I’m trying to make the best decisions I can. Thank you!

I’ve done both. I’ve rented privately 3 times and done a broker once.
Another downside of going through a broker is if you want to add requests or anything, they may not be willing to do it. I ran into that with the one time I used a broker and through a bit of back and forth, I got them to reach out to the owner to add my requests. I used to be an owner, so when they told me I wasn’t able to make requests with DVC, I called BS on that since I had done it many times. Things may have changed in the last few years, or it may be different from broker to broker.