If you own a timeshare, a maintenance fee statement is either in your mailbox now or will be within the next few weeks. Most resorts bill in October or November and set the due date at January 1. The average billed timeshare maintenance fee reached $1,550 per weekly interval in 2025, up 38% from $1,120 in 2021, according to the 2026 State of the Vacation Timeshare Industry study prepared by Ernst & Young.
That statement is the clearest annual reminder of what a perpetual timeshare contract means: the bill comes whether you vacation or not, it rises almost every year, and the resort almost never has an obligation to let you leave.
This article is written for owners who have already decided they want out, have been told by the resort that no exit exists, cannot sell, and are deciding what to do before January 1. It explains how an attorney-supported exit service can help, how long it may take, who qualifies, and how it compares to the alternatives. It also explains what to do with the bill in your hand while you decide.
One conclusion up front: the only way to permanently stop paying timeshare maintenance fees is to no longer be the legal owner. Every real option below is a potential route to that outcome.
Why This Month Matters: What a Timeshare Maintenance Fee Statement Actually Commits You To
A timeshare maintenance fee statement is not just a bill for one year. Paying it confirms, for another year, that you accept the obligations of a contract that almost never has an end date.
Here is what the fee covers and why it keeps rising. Maintenance fees fund resort operations, housekeeping, staffing, insurance, property taxes in some structures, reserves for renovation, and the homeowners’ association’s administrative costs. Because the owners collectively carry these costs, and because many resorts are decades old, the fee tends to rise faster than general inflation. The EY/ARDA data show the average billed fee climbing every year of the last five:
Year | Average billed timeshare maintenance fee (per weekly interval) | Year-over-year change |
2021 | $1,120 | — |
2022 | $1,170 | +4.5% |
2023 | $1,260 | +7.7% |
2024 | $1,480 | +17.5% |
2025 | $1,550 | +4.7% |
Source: State of the Vacation Timeshare Industry, United States Study, 2026 Edition (EY for ARDA Research & Insights), based on survey responses from 610 of 1,434 U.S. timeshare resorts.
Two things about that table matter for your decision:
First, the average hides the range. Owners of two-bedroom, lock-off, or points-heavy contracts at branded resorts routinely report fees well above it. Among the owners who submitted eligibility forms to us between late August and late October 2026, the annual fee figures they volunteered ranged from about $1,600 to $4,400. One couple on Social Security wrote that their mortgage is paid off but the timeshare maintenance fee alone is now $4,400 a year.
Second, timeshare maintenance fees are what keep the resort running. A developer earns its money when it sell the interval; the resort’s association earns its money every year afterwards, from you. ARDA’s own figures show how dependable that income is: about 90% of maintenance fee accounts were current in 2024, according to the 2025 State of the Vacation Timeshare Industry infographic. Nine in ten owners paying on time, on a bill that rose 17.5% that year and another 4.7% in 2025, is a revenue stream most businesses would envy. The scale is large, too. With roughly 188,700 units across 1,434 resorts in 2025 and an average billed fee of $1,550 per weekly interval, annual maintenance fee billings industry-wide run to several times the $3.3 billion the industry collected in rental revenue that year. That is the structural reason resorts resist letting owners go: a departing owner is lost recurring revenue, and the resort cannot easily replace it unless it can resell the interval.
Timeshare Special Assessment
A special assessment can arrive on top of the regular fee when a resort faces a major repair, a storm, or a renovation the reserves can’t cover. If you have received one, the pressure to exit is usually sharper. One owner who contacted us in September had just discovered a $2,076 assessment due in October 2026 that was never mentioned at closing and that appeared as three different figures across the closing documents. See our 2025 case studies on maintenance fees and special assessments.
If you want to see what your own fees add up to over the next ten or twenty years at a realistic increase rate, use the timeshare maintenance fee cost calculator.
What Owners Told Us This Fall: 139 Eligibility Forms, August 25 to October 22, 2026
Before the “how,” it helps to see the “why,” in owners’ own words. We reviewed every eligibility form submitted through our website between August 25 and October 22, 2026, the eight weeks before most statements go out. There were 27. Here is what they said, grouped by theme (most forms cited more than one):
What owners cited | Forms | Share |
Timeshare maintenance fees or dues rising faster than they can afford | 88 | 63% |
Misrepresentation or high-pressure sales (“not explained,” “told it wasn’t a timeshare,” “sent in a second closer”) | 61 | 44% |
Can’t book what they were promised; availability or exchange problems | 42 | 30% |
Health, age, or disability ending their ability to travel | 42 | 30% |
Asked the resort for an exit and were refused, ignored, or told to wait | 31 | 22% |
Living on fixed retirement income | 26 | 19% |
Already tried to sell or rent and got nowhere | 21 | 15% |
Pushed into an “upgrade” as the supposed path to selling or exiting | 15 | 11% |
Tried to cancel inside the rescission window and the resort didn’t process it | 10 | 7% |
Source: Vacation Ownership Consultants eligibility form submissions, Aug 25–Oct 22, 2026 (n=139).
Three patterns in those forms matter for the rest of this article:
- The fee is the trigger, but it is rarely the only grievance. Most owners who wrote “fees have doubled” also wrote that they could not book, were misled at the sale, or can no longer travel. That combination is what makes an attorney-supported exit viable: the fee is the pain, but the sales conduct is usually the underlying matter.
- The resort’s “no” takes predictable forms. Owners reported being told they must wait two years before applying for a deed-back with no guarantee of acceptance; that they must buy more points so their ownership can be sold “in even lots”; that they should keep paying and contact a resale advertiser instead (one couple paid that advertiser $1,200 and sold nothing); or simply nothing at all, after letters to the resort and its board went unanswered.
- Owners are trying the right things first. Several had already called the resort, listed the interval for sale, tried to rent it on an owner marketplace for months, or written to the HOA board. They contacted us after those routes failed.
Pay the Bill or Don't? What to Do With the Statement While You Plan an Exit
This is the question we hear most often in November and December. In some cases, counsel representing an owner may discuss the option of withholding payment as part of a specific legal strategy. That is a decision for an attorney who has reviewed your contract, your experience as an owner, and reviewed historical files completed for your resort’s common practices, and who is accountable to you. It is not a decision to make based on a sales call, and it is not a decision to make alone.
If you cannot pay, say so to the resort in writing and ask whether a hardship program or payment plan exists. Then get an eligibility review for an exit as quickly as possible, because the clock on late fees and collections is already running.
The Four Real Ways to Stop Paying Timeshare Maintenance Fees
Route | Who it works for | Typical cost to owner | Typical timeline | Credit risk | Realistic? |
1. Developer deed-back or surrender program | Owners current on fees, paid off, at a developer that is accepting inventory back | Subject to the resort, there are no publicly advertised fees. Owners have told us ranges of a few hundred to a few thousand per contract. | 6+ months | None if approved | Yes, if accepted. However, many owners are refused or told to “wait” |
2. Resale or transfer | Owners of in-demand timeshare products | Closing costs; most resales are at $1 or a loss | Months to never | None for a verified legal transfer, there are many scam resale companies | Rarely. Most timeshares resell for close to nothing, and the buyer pool is almost non-existent for most timeshares |
3. Attorney-supported exit service | Owners unable to cancel their timeshare with their resort or transfer to another party | Several thousand dollars; varies by contract | Several months to over a year | Low when fees stay current during the process | Yes, for owners who qualify. Not every owner does |
4. Default (stop paying) without representation or reliable strategy | No one, as a plan | Late fees, interest, collection costs; possible deficiency | 6–24 months to foreclosure or repossession | High: delinquency, collections, foreclosure on credit reports | It can “end” the fees eventually, but at a cost that many families are not prepared for |
Try the developer first. The Better Business Bureau recommends contacting your resort before paying anyone. We agree. If you are paid off, current, and your developer accepts your contract back for a modest fee, you may not need us. Our guide to timeshare surrender programs explains how to ask and what to expect.
Resale is a legitimate route and usually a dead end. The resale market for most timeshares has collapsed; the BBB’s 2023 study notes that owners routinely list intervals for $1 to escape fees, and still find no buyer. Our analysis of why the timeshare resale market has crashed covers the details. If a reseller calls you with a buyer waiting and an upfront “closing” or “tax” fee, hang up.
Donation is not on the list because most charities will not accept a timeshare, for the same reason buyers won’t: the liability outweighs the asset.
The rest of this article focuses on route three, because it is the route for the owner this article is written for: the one the developer turned down.
Why Your Resort Says No Even Though You're Paid Off and Current
Owners are often confused by this. You have paid off the purchase, you have never missed a fee, you are offering to give the interval back for nothing, and the resort still refuses. Why?
Your contract gives the resort the right to refuse.
Nearly all timeshare contracts are perpetual and contain no termination clause. A deed-back is a voluntary accommodation, not a right. The developer decides whether to accept, and it decides based on its own inventory needs.
The "upgrade first" answer is a sales answer, not an exit answer.
One of our 2026 clients, a single mother, told a sales representative at an “owner update” that she wanted out. She was told she first had to trade her fixed-week deed for a points contract, and left five hours later with her loan increased from $9,000 to $21,000, a new $1,200 fee, and a promise that she could exit afterward. When she called customer support to do exactly that, she was told the resort does not take back timeshares and that verbal promises do not override the written contract. That contract was released two months after she hired us, on the strength of our experience and attorney-supported solution.
Your interval may not be one the developer wants back.
Developers accept inventory they can resell at retail: prime weeks, popular resorts, points packages. An older fixed week at a legacy resort, aging timeshare program products, or a contract at a resort the developer no longer has an active sales team for is a liability to them too. The EY/ARDA 2026 report notes the industry is actively “sunsetting” older resorts and that resort and unit counts have fallen roughly 9% since 2020. Owners at those resorts frequently find that nobody will take the interval back.
Developer programs have eligibility rules that can disqualify you.
Common disqualifiers include any outstanding loan balance, any past-due fee, contracts with clouded titles, purchased on the resale market and not directly from the developer or all owners aren’t available to sign off on the release documents.
"We don't have a program" sometimes means "not for you right now."
Owner-services representatives are frequently also sales representatives. It is common to call about an exit and leave the call with an “upgrade” offer instead. The BBB’s 2023 study specifically recommends that developers provide a non-sales contact for owners who want to relinquish, which tells you how often the opposite happens. In our fall 2026 eligibility forms, the refusals owners described fell into four buckets: “wait two years and reapply, with no guarantee”; “buy more points first so it can be sold”; “keep paying and try a resale advertiser”; and silence. A 75-year-old couple told us a sales manager at an owner update promised a buyer for their 75,000 points by October, then pushed the “sale” to January and asked them to keep paying $373 a month on a $26,000 contract in the meantime.
When the developer says no, the question becomes whether there is a reliable strategy to exit the contract legally. That is what an attorney-supported exit is for.
Timeshare Exit Attorney vs. "Attorney on Staff" Company vs. Attorney-Supported Service
The timeshare exit industry uses legal-sounding language loosely, and regulators have started to notice. In 2026, the founder of one national exit company published an op-ed in The National Law Review calling for rules that would require exit companies to disclose whom their attorneys actually represent, arguing that phrases such as “attorneys on staff,” and “legal team” are routinely used to imply a relationship that may not exist.
Here is the distinction that matters to you:
Model | Who the attorney represents | What you get | What to watch for |
Law firm you retain directly | You. Attorney-client relationship, confidentiality, duty of loyalty | Full legal representation; can litigate | Hourly fees can run high; many firms don’t handle the intake, documentation, and resort communication that make up most of the work |
Exit company with “attorneys on staff” | Often the company, not you | Letters sent on legal letterhead | If the attorney’s client is the company, the attorney owes the duty of loyalty to the company. Ask: “Will I sign an engagement with the attorney?” |
Attorney-supported consulting service | You, if the company retains counsel on your behalf | Case evaluation, documentation, attorney representation, communication management, written confirmation | Confirm the engagement structure in writing before paying. |
Vacation Ownership Consultants provides an attorney-supported consulting service. Vacation Ownership Consultants provides retained legal representation for eligible timeshare owners.
Two more questions worth asking any provider:
- Can I speak to the timeshare attorney? You should have direct access to an attorney that provides you with legal advice throughout the exit process.
- What can I expect from the exit process? The answer should be specific: what the statement of work includes and does not include, Make sure promises make it to the contract, not in a brochure or sales conversation. If there are guarantees or promises made, read our analysis of escrow and “guarantee” promises in timeshare exit contracts before you accept any guarantee at face value.
For a deeper comparison, see the truth about getting out of a timeshare with a timeshare attorney.
What an Attorney-Supported Exit Costs, and How to Compare It to Doing Nothing
Expect a cost in the low-to-mid thousands of dollars, set by the specifics of your contract(s). Price can depend on several factors such as: whether there is a mortgage balance, how many contracts are involved, the developer, and exit path chosen. We quote after the eligibility review rather than publishing a single flat rate, because we choose to provide an accurate quote for a one-time flat fee. There are no hidden fees, or additional billing outside of our one-time quoted rate. Our timeshare elimination pricing page explains what drives the quote.
The honest way to evaluate the cost is against the cost of staying.
Example: a paid-off two-bedroom contract with a $2,100 fee
Assume the 2025 average annual increase of 4.7% continues, with no special assessments. That is a conservative assumption; the five-year average increase was closer to 8.5%.
Years of continued ownership | Total timeshare maintenance fees paid |
5 years | approx. $11,500 |
10 years | approx. $26,000 |
15 years | approx. $44,000 |
20 years | approx. $67,000 |
A $3,500 exit cost is recovered in a less than two years of timeshare maintenance fees in this example.
Run your own numbers with the maintenance fee cost calculator, and see our cost-to-get-out analysis for more scenarios.
How Long It Takes and What Happens to Your Credit in the Meantime
Plan on several months at minimum, and understand that a year or more is not unusual for the industry. Timeline depends on the developer (some have efficient legal departments; others stall), the exit path selected by the owner, whether there is a loan, whether timeshare maintenance fees are current, and whether the matter settles or uses alternative methods to exit. Anyone who promises a specific outcome or date is guessing.
For a concrete reference point, the three cases documented in the next section closed in two months, under two months, and three months from the date the client hired us (May through September 2026). Those were quickly settled matters; we are showing them because the paperwork is recent and in hand, not because every case moves that fast.
Your credit is protected mainly by one thing during the process: staying current on your fees until counsel advises you otherwise. An exit that concludes with a negotiated termination while your account is in good standing generally leaves no derogatory mark. An exit that concludes with a foreclosure or repossession because payments stopped can. Our guide to getting rid of a timeshare and protecting your credit covers the mechanics.
Three Recent Exits: What the Release Paperwork Actually Shows
Exit companies talk about “success” constantly but almost never produce the the paperwork to support their claims. Here are three cases we closed between August and September 2026, with the client’s situation, what they had tried, what the exit consisted of, and the document that ended the obligation. Names and contract numbers are withheld; the documents are on file.
Retired couple, Cabo San Lucas vacation club | Single mother, New England vacation club | 82-year-old widower, Bluegreen points | |
Hired VOC | July 7, 2026 | August 11, 2026 | May 12, 2026 |
Released | September 8, 2026 | September 28, 2026 | August 10, 2026 |
Time to resolution | 2 months | Under 2 months | 3 months |
Loan balance | $0 | $21,000 at 17% over 10 years | $0 |
Annual maintenance fee | $2,300 | $1,200 (first year) | $2,212 |
Why they wanted out | Fixed income; medical hardship ended travel | Pushed into an “upgrade” at an owner update after saying she wanted out | Widowed; did not want his son to be concerned with the timeshare upon his passing |
What they had already tried | Listed with a resale company for a year with no offers; posted in the resort’s owner group with no takers | Called the resort, was told “we don’t take back timeshares, try to sell it” | Attended a mailed-invitation exit seminar that wanted a five-figure fee; found complaints and walked away |
How the exit was done | Attorney-supported process; timeshare membership contract cancelled with a written release from the resort of all future liability | Retained legal representation asserting misrepresentation; resort agreed to take the contract back and release all payment obligations | Developer-consented transfer of ownership through a title agency, releasing the client from the contract |
Document on file | Contract transfer and release-of-liability letter, signed by an authorized representative | Release agreement signed by the resort’s representative | Assignment of Owner Beneficiary Rights, with the developer’s written consent and release |
What these three have in common is more instructive than the differences:
- Each owner tried the free routes first. A year on the resale market, a direct request to the resort, an owner-group post. All came back empty, which is the pattern in our intake forms too.
- Each ended with the owner’s name off the contract and a signed document saying so. That is the test of an exit. Note the different paths: one was a negotiated take-back after a misrepresentation claim, two were ownership transfers the developer or club consented to. “Attorney-supported” does not always mean litigation; it means a licensed attorney evaluated the grounds and the right mechanism was used for each contract.
- None received money back, and one gave up a $500 deposit and the payments already made. The single mother’s release states in plain terms that no monies would be returned. The value was release from a $21,000 loan at 17%, which would have cost $43,797 over its remaining term, plus the fees.
What the three exits were worth
Using each client’s current fee, a 4.7% annual increase (conservative increase – below the 5 year trend), and no special assessments:
Client | Fee today | Fees avoided over 10 years | Fees avoided over 20 years | Loan avoided |
Retired couple | $2,300 | $28,900 | $76,100 | — |
Single mother | $1,200 | $15,100 | $39,700 | $43,797 |
Widower | $2,212 | $27,800 | $73,100 | — |
Our Bluegreen cancellation guide and our guide to cancelling a Mexican timeshare contract go deeper on two of these contract types.
Who Qualifies, and Who Should Not Hire Anyone
Strong candidates
- The developer has refused a deed-back, or has conditioned it on buying another timeshare.
- There was misrepresentation at the point of sale: statements about resale value, rental income, investment return, ease of booking, or “you can always sell it back.”
- You were upgraded or “repositioned” into a larger contract on the promise it would fix a problem that did not get fixed.
- You have a mortgage balance and cannot sell or surrender until it is paid.
- You inherited a timeshare.
- Your resort is no longer in active sales, or it has been absorbed into a club, and nobody will take the interval back.
- You received a special assessment on top of a fee you were already struggling with.
Owners who may not need to hire us, or anyone
- You are still inside your state’s rescission window. Cancel directly, in writing, by certified mail. It is free. See how the timeshare rescission period works. Do not rely on a phone call: two owners who contacted us this fall had tried to cancel by phone inside the window, one by telling a front-desk employee and one by calling three numbers that were never answered, and both remained owners post rescission.
- Your developer has a published exit program, you are paid off and current, and you have not yet applied.
- You have access to recently sold timeshares that are similar to your ownership, you may want to hire a licensed real estate agent to list. Pay their commission once it sells. Advertising contracts are money pits with no guarantee to sell the timeshare.
What we cannot promise
No ethical provider can guarantee a specific outcome, a timeline, or exit experience. We can provide you with a tried-and-true exit strategy backed by 12+ years of experience and strong reputation. You will not be treated like a number, but we will have your best interest in mind with reliable support until an outcome is achieved.
How to Avoid Timeshare Exit Fraud: Lessons From the $140M FTC Judgment and BBB Data
The exit industry has earned its reputation. You should know the record before you hire anyone, including us.
- April 2026: A federal court in the Eastern District of Missouri granted summary judgment to the Department of Justice and the State of Wisconsin against Christopher Carroll, found to be a “mastermind” of a timeshare exit scheme that harmed more than 11,000 consumers, mostly older adults. The court ordered more than $95 million in consumer redress and $45 million in civil penalties, and permanently banned him from marketing exit services. The scheme used direct mail and in-person presentations to collect large upfront fees.
- 2023: The BBB’s study “Unpacking timeshare and vacation club sales” counted 20,118 timeshare-related complaints to the BBB from 2020 through 2022 and about $32 million in disputed amounts across timeshare, vacation club, and exit companies. It found that exit companies frequently failed to honor money-back guarantees.
- 2019: The BBB’s “Timeshare Exit Trap” study logged more than 350 complaints against ten Springfield, Missouri exit businesses over roughly two years, with owners reporting losses from $1,000 to $30,000 after guarantees went unfulfilled.
What those cases have in common: guarantees from marketing gimmicks that were not fulfilled, unreliable exit advice, and no attorney who actually represented the owner.
Red flags that should end the conversation
- Unsolicited contact: a cold call, a postcard, a “dinner seminar,” or a social-media ad promising a guaranteed exit. The 82-year-old widower in our case studies got a mailed invitation to exactly this kind of seminar, sat through a high-pressure pitch for a five-figure fee with no explanation of how the exit would work, searched the company’s name, and found a long list of complaints. The seminar is the same playbook the court described in the $140M case.
- “100% success rate” or “guaranteed credit protection.”
- A newly formed LLC and website, lack of operating experience.
- Verbal promises that never made it to the written contract.
- “Attorneys on staff” with no actual client engagement letter provided.
- Pressure to decide today.
Our guide to identifying fraudulent timeshare exit companies goes deeper, and our comparison of leading exit brands applies these tests to named companies.
How to Get Rid of a Timeshare That Is Paid Off
Owners who have paid off the purchase price are often surprised to find that being paid off does not make leaving easier. It removes one obstacle, the lender, and leaves the main one, the perpetual fee obligation, in place. One paid-off owner wrote to us in September that the resort told her she had to wait two years before she could even apply to exit, and that there would be no guarantee of a deed-back when the two years were up.
For a paid-off owner, the sequence is:
- Ask the developer, in writing, for a deed-back or surrender. State that you are paid in full and current, provide your account number, and ask for the program name, eligibility rules, cost, and timeline. Keep the response.
- If accepted, verify the terms. Some programs charge a fee equal to 1-2 years of timeshare maintenance in addition to a transfer cost in the hundreds – thousands. Get the release in writing before paying anything.
- If refused or stalled, document why. The refusal letter, or the absence of one after a reasonable period, is useful evidence that no voluntary exit exists.
- Then evaluate an attorney-supported exit. Being paid off can strengthen your position because there is no outstanding loan to be addressed.
Resale is the other theoretical option for a paid-off owner, and for most contracts it is theoretical. If you want to test it, list the interval at $1 on an owner-to-owner marketplace for 60 days. If no one takes it for free, you have your answer.
Our dedicated guide to getting rid of a timeshare that is paid off walks through each step with sample language for the developer letter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a lawyer really get me out of my timeshare?
An attorney can provide reliable exit strategies used on past client files that achieved an exit outcome. They can handle all legal work, communications and negotiations with your resort. They can provide you with legal advice and help protect your consumer rights while navigating the exit process.
Will I get my money back from my resort?
Usually not. The realistic goal of most exits is release from future obligations: no more fees, no more loan, no more liability. Be skeptical of any provider that leads with refunds.
What if I already stopped paying?
Delinquency can limit your exit options, but alternative strategies may still remain available. Discuss how your account payment status can impact your exit experience and get the information to make an informed decision on how to proceed with your exit plan.
Does an attorney-supported exit damage my credit?
The exit itself does not. A negotiated termination of a contract in good standing is not a derogatory event. It is best to discuss how payment position may affect credit and what can help rehabilitate credit if a derogatory trade-line is experienced.
Can my children refuse to inherit my timeshare?
In most cases, yes. Heirs can disclaim an inheritance, but are typically on a strict time window to do so. Owners pursue an exit while they are alive so that their heirs will not have to address the timeshare upon their passing. See what happens to timeshares when you die.
Is now the right time, or should I wait until after the fee is due?
Starting before the due date may give you more options. Starting after you are delinquent may limit your exit options depending on your ownership type, resort and circumstances.
Next Step: Find Out If You Qualify Before the Bill Is Due
The timeshare maintenance fee statement in your hand is a one-year decision disguised as an invoice. Paying it is not a mistake; paying it for another decade without checking whether you have a way out might be.
An eligibility review costs nothing and commits you to nothing. You will learn whether an attorney-supported exit is realistic for your contract, and what it would cost. If we cannot help, we will say so.
Vacation Ownership Consultants is a Scottsdale, Arizona-based timeshare exit consulting firm founded in 2014. We are not a law firm; attorney services are provided by licensed attorneys retained on behalf of clients. This article is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Outcomes vary by contract.
