Timeshare maintenance fees are billed annually for most owners, and these invoices typically arrive between October and November—often referred to as “Timeshare Maintenance Fee Season.” The majority of owners must pay their timeshare maintenance fee by January 1st. However, billing schedules can vary.
Owners with biennial usage (odd or even years) may only receive invoices every other year, while point-based programs often offer monthly, quarterly, or biannual payment options. Instead of one large bill, the cost is divided into smaller installments throughout the year.
Understanding how these fees work—and how they continue to increase—is essential for planning ahead. Below, we break down how timeshare maintenance fees function, what they cost in 2025, and why so many owners are focusing on getting out of timeshare maintenance fees through legitimate exit solutions.
What Are Timeshare Maintenance Fees?
Timeshare maintenance fees are annual payments that almost every owner is contractually obligated to pay—whether they use their timeshare or not.
These fees are designed to cover the resort’s operating costs, including:
Property upkeep and housekeeping
Utilities and landscaping
Insurance and taxes
Club dues and management salaries
ARDA donations (a small industry-wide contribution, often automatically added)
While these costs seem routine, owners rarely realize how quickly they add up.
Why Do Point-Based Owners Pay Different Amounts?
Most timeshare developers have moved away from traditional fixed or floating week deeds. Instead, they sell points-based contracts tied to membership status levels.
The higher your status, the lower your per-point fee may be—but that doesn’t mean you’re paying less overall. Higher-status members usually own more points, which means larger annual maintenance fee bills.
Below is a chart showing typical timeshare ownership status levels across major developers.
| Developer | Status Levels |
|---|---|
| Capital Vacations | Preferred, Silver, Gold, Platinum |
| Bluegreen Vacations | Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond |
| Diamond Resorts International | Standard, Silver, Gold, Platinum |
| Hilton Grand Vacations | Member, Preferred, Preferred+, Elite, Elite+, Centum |
| Club Wyndham | Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Founders |
| Marriott Vacation Club | Owner, Select, Executive, Presidential, Chairman’s Club |
These tiers often influence how much you’ll pay in annual timeshare fees. For example, a Platinum or Chairman’s Club member may have access to luxury resort locations—but their maintenance fees can easily exceed $10,000 per year.
What Is the Average Maintenance Fees Cost in 2025?
According to a 2025 study conducted by Ernst & Young LLP, the average timeshare maintenance fee rose to $1,480 per weekly interval equivalent—a record high for the industry.
Timeshare Maintenance Fee Industry Trend (2020–2024)
| Year | Average Maintenance Fee | Year-Over-Year % Increase |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $1,090 | — |
| 2021 | $1,120 | 3% |
| 2022 | $1,170 | 4% |
| 2023 | $1,260 | 8% |
| 2024 | $1,480 | 17% |
| 5-Year Increase | — | 36% |
The data shows a 36% increase in average timeshare maintenance fees over five years. Rising property costs, resort renovations, and inflation have all contributed to this spike.
For many families, the average timeshare maintenance fee is no longer affordable.
How Often Do Timeshare Maintenance Fees Increase?
Timeshare maintenance fees increase every year, typically between 5% and 10%, depending on the resort and ownership type.
Over a decade, that means a $1,500 annual fee in 2025 could easily reach $3,000 or more by 2035. Many owners don’t anticipate this level of compounding cost when they sign their contract.
Why Do These Increases Happen?
Developers justify these hikes with reasons like:
Rising insurance and utility costs
Property renovations and replacements
Staffing and management expenses
Association reserves for future projects
Unfortunately, owners have little to no control over these decisions. The fees are mandatory, and failure to pay may result in collection actions, credit damage, foreclosure and legal action.
What’s the Difference Between Timeshare Maintenance Fees and Special Assessments?
This is one of the most misunderstood topics among owners. Maintenance fees cover routine annual expenses.
Special assessments, however, are extra charges billed when a resort faces unexpected costs such as hurricane repairs, roof replacements, or a high number of delinquent accounts.
Case Study: Real-World Special Assessment Impact
In one documented case from a client 2025 case study, an owner of a Hawaii beachfront resort received a special assessment of $2,400 —on top of their $2,944 maintenance fee. This resulted in a total mandatory payment of $5,344 in timeshare fees for 2025. The explanation given was vague at best, “HOTEL INCOME SUPPLEMENTAL ASSESSMENT.”
Another owner in Las Vegas faced a $969 assessment for structural renovations that were never mentioned during their purchase presentation. This brought their total timeshare fee payments to $3,410.66 for 2025 on a property ownership that holds no equity for the timeshare owner.
These unexpected costs have pushed many families to explore getting out of timeshare maintenance fees entirely.
Can You Refuse to Pay a Timeshare Maintenance Fee Bill?
In most cases, no—you will find that you cannot refuse to pay your timeshare maintenance fee without consequences.
U.S.-based timeshare contracts nearly always include binding obligations that require annual payments, regardless of usage. The only exceptions may exist for international right-to-use contracts, such as some Mexican timeshares, where payment is optional based on usage.
If you stop paying without legally terminating ownership, you could face:
Damage to your credit report
Collection agency calls
Legal action or foreclosure
Loss of access to your ownership rights
That’s why experts recommend exploring legal and legitimate ways of getting out of timeshare maintenance fees, rather than ignoring them.
Can You Rent Your Timeshare to Pay Maintenance Fees?
Technically, some owners try to rent out their timeshares to offset the cost of annual maintenance. However, most find that rental income doesn’t cover the full cost—especially for lower-tier point-based owners.
Case Study: TSRP Point-Based Rental Quote vs. Actual 2025 Maintenance Fees
| Resort | Total Points | Maintenance Fee | Rental Payment | Profit / Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond Resorts US Collection | 5,500 | $1,718.90 | $440.00 | –$1,278.90 |
| Bluegreen Vacations | 8,000 | $982.80 | $332.00 | –$650.80 |
| Hilton Grand Vacations | 9,280 | $2,153.42 | $1,020.80 | –$1,132.62 |
As shown above, owners usually experience a loss even after renting. It’s rare to find renters willing to pay enough to break even, unless you own at a top-tier status level or high-demand property.
Is Renting Your Timeshare Allowed by the Developer?
Another critical point—most developers prohibit commercial renting.
You may rent to friends or family, but advertising on rental platforms like Airbnb or RedWeek could result in account suspension or canceled reservations.
So, renting out your timeshare to cover maintenance fees is not a sustainable long-term solution.
How Are Owners Getting Out of Timeshare Maintenance Fees?
At Vacation Ownership Consultants (VOC), we’ve spent over 11 years helping owners exit their timeshares and stop the burden of being obligated to rising maintenance fees.
Our team is BBB-accredited and was nominated for the Torch Awards for Ethics in 2024. We understand that every owner’s circumstances may not be the same. We take the time to understand each owner’s story and provide them with our experience and reliable solutions.
How the Process Works
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Eligibility Review – We start with a no-cost consultation to review your ownership documents.
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Strategy Selection – Based on your situation, we tailor a reliable exit solution.
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Execution – Our partners that work in conjunction with our services will assist, advise and provide the final release paperwork.
The cost of service depends on:
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Resort brand
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Ownership type
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Number of contracts
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Scope of service
Each client receives a flat-rate quote after the consultation—no recurring or open-ended billing.
If you’re exploring getting out of timeshare maintenance fees, complete the eligibility form below to schedule a no-cost consultation with our team.
Facing Another Maintenance Fee Bill?
Owning a timeshare once symbolized vacation freedom. But with rising maintenance fees, many families feel more trapped than ever.
Whether you’re facing another January 1st bill, a special assessment, or just can’t use your ownership anymore—help is available.
At Vacation Ownership Consultants, we’ve built a tried-and-true track record of attorney-based exits since 2014. Contact us today to discuss your options for getting out of timeshare maintenance fees.
