When you first bought your timeshare, the sales presentation likely focused on the "affordable" monthly payments and the promise of decades of family vacations. But what they didn't tell you about were the numerous hidden costs that would continue to drain your bank account long after you signed that contract.
Reality Check
The average timeshare owner pays over $1,200 annually in maintenance fees alone – and that's just the beginning. These costs typically increase 3-7% every year, with no cap on how high they can go.
The Real Cost Breakdown
Annual Maintenance Fees
- • Average: $1,000 - $3,000+ per year
- • Increases: 3-7% annually (sometimes more)
- • Non-negotiable and legally binding
- • Due even if you don't use your timeshare
Special Assessments
- • Unexpected charges: $500 - $10,000+
- • Property improvements and repairs
- • Hurricane/disaster damage
- • Legal fees and settlements
Additional Hidden Costs Include:
Usage Fees
- • Exchange company fees ($200+)
- • Booking fees ($50-150)
- • Guest certificates ($100+)
- • Housekeeping fees ($75-200)
Resort Charges
- • Resort fees ($25-50/night)
- • Parking fees ($10-30/day)
- • WiFi charges ($15-25/day)
- • Activity fees (varies)
Administrative
- • Transfer fees ($500-2000)
- • Document fees ($100-300)
- • Account setup ($50-200)
- • Late payment penalties (varies)
Why Costs Keep Rising
Timeshare maintenance fees are designed to increase year after year. Unlike your mortgage payment which stays the same, these fees have no cap and will continue rising for as long as you own the timeshare.
Common Reasons for Fee Increases:
- Inflation adjustments - Automatic increases built into contracts
- Property aging - Older properties require more maintenance and repairs
- Insurance costs - Rising property insurance premiums
- Utility increases - Higher costs for electricity, water, and gas
- Staff wage increases - Rising labor costs passed to owners
- Capital improvements - Property upgrades and renovations
- Legal fees - Costs from lawsuits and regulatory compliance
Historical Fee Increases
Data shows that maintenance fees typically increase 3-7% annually, which means they double approximately every 10-15 years. A $1,000 annual fee today could easily become $2,000+ within 15 years.
Some owners have reported fee increases as high as 15-20% in a single year due to special assessments or major property issues.
Calculate Your True Cost
30-Year Ownership Cost Example
Conservative Estimate
- Initial purchase price: $25,000
- Annual maintenance (starting): $1,200
- Annual increase: 4%
- Total 30-year cost: $90,000+
Realistic Scenario
- Initial purchase price: $25,000
- Annual maintenance (starting): $1,500
- Annual increase: 6%
- Special assessments: $10,000
- Total 30-year cost: $130,000+
This doesn't include exchange fees, booking fees, travel costs, or other usage-related expenses.
What You Can Do About It
If you're tired of watching your timeshare costs spiral out of control, you're not alone. Thousands of timeshare owners are choosing to exit their contracts rather than continue paying these ever-increasing fees.
Your Options:
Professional Exit Services
- • 100% money-back guarantee on our service fee for accepted clients
- • Handle all paperwork and negotiations
- • Protect you from common exit scams
- • Typically 6-18 month process
DIY Methods (Less Reliable)
- • Deed back to resort (rarely accepted)
- • Resale market (typically 5-10% of purchase price)
- • Donation programs (many are scams)
- • Simply stopping payments (damages credit)
Know Your Rights: Cancellation (Rescission) Periods
Every state has its own laws governing the rescission period (a short window in which a new timeshare purchase can be canceled).
A trusted consumer-law resource, Nolo.com, publishes a detailed state-by-state chart explaining these cancellation timelines. We encourage owners to review this information and check their contract dates to see whether they may still qualify for rescission.
View Nolo's State-By-State Timeshare Rescission Chart
We are not a law firm and this is not legal advice. This resource is provided for general consumer education only.