7 Timeshare Fees That Catch Owners by Surprise

Buying into a timeshare feels like you’ve locked in future vacations at today’s prices. But what many owners don’t expect is the steady stream of timeshare fees that follow long after the sales pitch ends.

Some of these charges are standard, like yearly maintenance. Others (like special assessments, transfer fees, or surprise exit costs) pop up when you least expect them. Either way, the bills can add up fast.

Here’s a breakdown of the most common (and frustrating) timeshare fees, how much they usually cost, and what you can do about them.

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Table of Contents

1. 1. Maintenance fees
2. 2. Special assessment fees
3. 3. Transfer fees
4. 4. Upfront fees (at time of purchase)
5. 5. Upfront fees (from exit companies)
6. 6. Late payment fees
7. 7. Exchange or membership-related fees
8. FAQ

1. Maintenance fees

What it is:

Timeshare maintenance fees cover the resort’s upkeep. It includes things like landscaping, housekeeping, utilities, and staff salaries. In theory, they keep the property vacation-ready.

Example:

Let’s say your annual maintenance fee is $1,500. You would pay that $1,500 once per year, and you would owe it even if you don’t use your timeshare that year. Over 10 years, that’s $15,000, assuming maintenance fees never increase, which they most often do. The average timeshare maintenance fee has risen from $1,090 in 2020 to $1,480 in 2025. 

Frequency: Annual

Typical cost: About $1,480 

How to reduce:

• Very difficult, if not impossible, to reduce. 
• You can try joining owner forums to pressure resorts on transparency.
• You could also ask about payment plans to spread the cost across the year.

How to get out of timeshare maintenance fees:

• The only way to get out of maintenance fees is to exit your timeshare contract. You can do this through your resort (some offer “deed-back” programs) or with a reputable exit company—here’s our vetted list.

What happens if you stop paying?

You could have your timeshare maintenance fees sent to collections if you stop paying. It could also damage your credit and eventually lead to foreclosure on your timeshare.

Top Reddit posts about timeshare owners with maintenance fees: 

• Couple in their 80s paying $1,400/year:

Stop paying maint fees on a timeshare.
byu/Bonefish2021 inTimeshareOwners

• Owner hit with $3,915 in annual fees for 16,500 Diamond points:

exorbitant maintenance fees
byu/rotund_apricot inTimeshareOwners

2. Special assessment fees

What it is:

Timeshare assessment fees are one-time charges billed when the resort needs extra money, usually for repairs, upgrades, or covering unexpected costs.

Example:

One timeshare owner on Reddit reported paying $1,300 in annual maintenance fees plus a $6,500 special assessment after the resort changed ownership and added upgrades. That’s nearly $8,000 in a single year for a vacation they may not even use.

Frequency: One-time (though multiple assessments can happen over time)

Typical cost: About $1,000 every six years or $167 per year. In reality, fees often arrive in lump sums of thousands at once.

How to reduce:

• Attend owner association meetings to question spending and reserve fund practices.
• Push for better planning so future repairs are covered by maintenance fee reserves instead of surprise bills.

How to get out of it:

• You could try negotiating with the resort if you believe the fee is unreasonable or poorly disclosed, but this isn’t guaranteed to work. 
• You could also explore a deed-back or resale to avoid future assessments entirely.

What happens if you stop paying?

Unpaid assessments are treated like unpaid maintenance fees. They could go to collections, hurt your credit, and lead to foreclosure.

Top Reddit posts about timeshare owners with special assessment fees:

• One-time assessment fee experiences:

Has anyone experienced a one time assessment fee at their timeshare?
byu/Affectionate-Owl3365 inTimeshareOwners

• $6,500 assessment on top of $1,300 maintenance fee:

Looking for advice
byu/Federal-Painter-1302 inTimeshareOwners

I review with my clients the purpose of their timeshare, how much they enjoy the property and location, and whether they can reasonably cover the special assessment fee from cash reserves.
If the fee is manageable and ongoing maintenance costs aren’t straining their budget, I typically recommend paying it. However, if the fee would cause financial hardship or maintenance costs are already a burden, I advise exploring an exit strategy.

3. Transfer fees

What it is:

Transfer fees are charges for changing ownership, like when you sell your timeshare, gift it to a family member, or surrender it back to the resort.

Example:

One owner shared on Reddit that they were able to cancel their contract with a $500 transfer fee plus the remainder of their maintenance bill. Another was quoted $2,200 as a one-time cancellation fee. Others report being asked for several thousand just to hand over the deed.

Frequency: One-time (when you transfer or terminate ownership)

Typical cost: Can range from $500 to $10,000

How to reduce:

• Ask your resort about official “deed-back” or owner surrender programs, which may have lower fees.

How to get out of it:

• You could negotiate to have the buyer cover transfer costs.

What happens if you stop paying?

If you don’t want to pay this timeshare fee, your transfer agreement may fall through, and the timeshare may remain in your name. 

Top Reddit posts about timeshare owners with transfer fees: 

• Contract exit for $400:

I was able to exit our timeshare contract for $400 instead of $4000+
byu/te_ka inTimeshareOwners

• $2,200 termination fee:

Worth trying to sell or just terminate ownership?
byu/zoozoozingcee inTimeshareOwners

• Exit for $500 plus maintenance:

My exit from my timeshare
byu/Delicious-Freedom-56 inTimeshareOwners

4. Upfront fees (at time of purchase)

What it is:

Upfront purchase fees are the big, initial costs you pay when buying a timeshare. They typically cover the sales price, closing costs, and sometimes administrative fees.

Example:

The average transaction price for a timeshare was $23,160 in 2024, according to ARDA. Fee-for-service (FFS) deals, where big brands sell inventory for smaller resorts, averaged even higher at $28,010 per transaction. 

Frequency: One-time (at purchase)

Typical cost: Usually about $20,000 to $25,999, but some units sell for more than $26,000. There are also closing fees and administrative charges, which can cost between $500 and $2,000 on top of the purchase price.

How to reduce:

• Be prepared to negotiate aggressively. Similar to when buying a car, resorts might be willing to offer discounts to close a deal.
• Buy on the resale market, where timeshares often sell for pennies on the dollar.

How to get out of it:

• Many states offer a three- to 10-day rescission (cooling-off) period. If you regret signing, you can cancel within this period for a full refund. 
• If you’re past the rescission window, explore resale or deed-back programs.

What happens if you stop paying?
If you financed the purchase and stop paying, you could default on the loan. The resort could foreclose, and your credit score could take a hit.

Top Reddit posts about timeshare owners with upfront purchase fees: 

• Yes, we bought a timeshare:

Yes, we bought a timeshare…
byu/Puzzled-Mess6705 inTimeshareOwners

5. Upfront fees (from exit companies)

What it is:

These are the timeshare fees you’ll pay if you hire a third-party exit company to help cancel or negotiate out of your contract. Unlike transfer fees (charged by the resort itself to move ownership), these are service fees for companies that specialize in navigating the exit process.

Example:

Say you hire an exit firm that charges $4,000 at the time of exit. If the company is reputable, those funds should go toward attorney work and negotiations. If it’s a timeshare scam, you could be out thousands with no progress. 

Frequency: One-time (when you hire the company)

Typical cost: Varies widely

How to reduce:

• Try to sell your timeshare through your resort’s in-house exit program first.
• Get quotes from multiple firms and ask exactly how they’ll handle your case.

How to get out of it:

• Ask about money-back guarantees or escrow before signing.

What happens if you stop paying?

Work on your case may stop, and some firms may even push you into foreclosure if you choose strategic default as an exit method.

Most exit firms charge big upfront fees, outsource cases, and tell owners to default. Stonegate, our pick for the best overall timeshare exit company, takes a different approach:

• Partnered with an independent law firm.
• Uses attorneys to challenge contracts under consumer protection laws.
• Offers financing and reads off real exit results weekly.

Stonegate reports canceling millions in timeshare debt and helping clients who had been scammed by other companies. Their advice is to beware cold calls, “pressure campaign” promises, or firms that tell you to stop paying.

6. Late payment fees

What it is:

Late payment fees are penalties charged when you miss a scheduled timeshare payment for things like maintenance, your loan, or a special assessment.

Example:

Say your maintenance fee is $300, and you miss the due date. Your resort might add a $50 late fee. Miss two payments in a row, and you could owe $700 instead of $600 (not including potential legal action). 

Frequency: One-time (after each missed due date)

Typical cost: Could be a flat late fee (like $25 to $100, for example) or a percentage-based penalty. 

How to reduce:

• Set up autopay or calendar reminders.
• Contact the resort as soon as you know you’ll be late. Some could offer short grace periods or payment plans.

How to get out of it:

• There’s usually no way to erase late fees already charged, though a resort might waive them as a one-time courtesy if you have a strong payment history.

What happens if you stop paying?

Charges can easily snowball if you miss multiple payments. And unpaid balances may lead to collections, damaged credit, liens, or foreclosure on your timeshare interest.

Top Reddit posts about timeshare owners with late fees: 

• Management company sent my bill to collections:

Need advice on timeshare foreclosure. Management company sent my bill to collections.
byu/dan8m8 inTimeshareOwners

7. Exchange or membership-related fees

What it is:

If you want to swap your home resort for a different destination, you’ll likely need to join an exchange program such as RCI or Interval International. These programs charge annual membership dues plus transaction fees each time you trade your week or points.

Example:

Say you own a week in Wisconsin but want to exchange it for a Florida beach resort. An RCI Weeks membership costs $109 per year, and the exchange fee for a seven-night reservation is $299. That’s $408 total just to make the swap.

Frequency: Annual + per-exchange.

Typical cost:

• RCI Weeks: $109 to $768 annually (depending on length of membership).
• Exchange fees: $59 to $349 for Points members, $299 for Weeks members.
• Extras (like extending deposits or transferring points): $49 to $249.

How to reduce:

• Buy multi-year memberships upfront if you know you’ll use them. RCI gives discounts longer terms.
• Stick to your home resort when you can to avoid per-exchange fees.

How to get out of it:

• Cancel your exchange program membership if you’re not using it.
• Exit your timeshare entirely through your resort or a reputable exit company.

What happens if you stop paying?

Your exchange membership is suspended or canceled, and you’ll lose access to booking privileges. 

Top Reddit posts about timeshare owners with exchange fees: 

• Should I get RCI?

Already own a timeshare – Should I get RCI?
byu/flerbergerber inTimeshareOwners

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To determine whether a timeshare is a sensible expense, I review the type of timeshare, its location, and market demand with my clients. In most cases, we categorize the timeshare as an ongoing lifestyle expense, taking into account maintenance fees and travel costs over time.

FAQ

Are timeshare fees legal?

Yes. Most fees are spelled out in your original contract, so the resort (or exchange company) has a legal right to charge them. Where people run into problems is when scammers tack on extra “fees” that aren’t real. Always verify charges with your resort or exchange program directly before paying.

Are timeshare fees tax-deductible?

Generally no. Maintenance, transfer, and exchange fees are considered personal expenses. The only exception is if you rent out your timeshare. In that case, you may be able to deduct a portion of the fees as rental property expenses on your taxes. Talk with a tax professional before claiming them.

How can I get out of timeshare fees?

The only permanent way to get out of most timeshare fees is to exit your timeshare contract. Some resorts offer deed-back or surrender programs, and resale is another option. If those don’t work, you may need to hire a reputable exit company like Stonegate Firm for help.

Do fees ever end when the timeshare is paid off?

No. Even if you’ve fully paid for your timeshare, you’ll still owe annual maintenance fees and may face special assessments. Ownership means ongoing responsibility for upkeep costs, regardless of how much you use the property.

Do timeshares have HOA fees?

Yes, most timeshares are managed like homeowners’ associations. Maintenance and special assessment fees function much like HOA dues, covering shared property costs and upgrades. Owners are legally obligated to pay them.