Many or all companies we feature compensate us. Compensation and editorial research influence how products appear on a page. Personal Finance How Timeshare Maintenance Fees Really Work (And How to Get Out of Them Legally) Updated Aug 29, 2025 8-min read Written by Cassidy Horton, MBA Written by Cassidy Horton, MBA Expertise: Banking, home equity, mortgages, financial planning, budgeting, tax planning Cassidy Horton is a finance writer passionate about helping people find financial freedom. With an MBA and a bachelor's in public relations, her work has been published more than 1,000 times online. Learn more about Cassidy Horton, MBA Maintenance fees are one of the biggest ongoing costs associated with timeshares. These fees can seem harmless at first, a few hundred dollars here or there. But over time, they often rise faster than inflation and can cost more than simply booking a hotel, Airbnb, or VRBO. Some owners end up paying thousands each year for weeks they don’t even use. Here’s a closer look at how timeshare maintenance fees work, why they go up, and what you can do if you want out. Table of Contents What are timeshare maintenance fees? Why do timeshares charge maintenance fees? Average maintenance fee on a timeshare? Can maintenance fees increase? Do you keep paying maintenance fees after your timeshare is paid off? Are timeshare maintenance fees tax deductible? Can you negotiate or lower your timeshare maintenance fees? What happens if you stop paying? How to get out of timeshare maintenance fees safely and legally 1. Contact your resort directly 2. List it on a legitimate resale site 3. Consult a real estate attorney 4. Consider a reputable exit company What are timeshare maintenance fees? Timeshare maintenance fees are annual (sometimes quarterly or monthly) charges that cover the upkeep of the property. Think housekeeping, landscaping, utilities, insurance, and staff salaries. A portion also goes into a “reserve fund” to pay for bigger repairs like roof replacements or hurricane damage. Fees are mandatory whether or not you use your timeshare. Skip your vacation? You’ll still get a bill. Even if you’ve paid off the purchase price, maintenance fees keep coming. The exact structure of maintenance fees depends on your ownership type: Fixed or floating week owners pay a set amount each year for their specific unit or season. Points-based owners pay per point. For example, in Marriott’s Vacation Club, fees are about $0.81 per point in 2025. That means 10,000 points would equal $8,100 in maintenance fees for the year. 7 Timeshare Fees That Catch Owners by Surprise Why do timeshares charge maintenance fees? Resorts frame maintenance fees as a way to keep your vacation property in good shape. In theory, these payments make sure the lights stay on and the landscaping looks Instagram-worthy when you arrive. In practice, they’re also how resorts cover most of their operating budget. According to ARDA, the trade association for the timeshare industry, maintenance fees make up around 83% of resorts’ operating revenue. Here’s what your fees typically pay for: Day-to-day upkeep. Cleaning, landscaping, pool maintenance, utilities. Staffing. Front desk, security, housekeeping, and management salaries. Insurance. Property insurance, especially in weather-prone areas like Florida or Hawaii. Property taxes. Passed on to owners as part of annual dues. Reserve funds. Savings for big-ticket items like roof repairs, HVAC replacements, or hurricane damage. What is the average maintenance fee on a timeshare? According to ARDA’s 2025 industry study, the average annual timeshare maintenance fee is $1,480 per interval. That’s up from $1,260 in 2023 and $1,090 in 2020—a jump of more than 35% in just four years. Fees also vary by unit size: Studios: $1,090 One-bedrooms: $1,140 Two-bedrooms: $1,450 Three-bedrooms or larger: $1,790 Over 20 years, Finn Law Group estimates the average owner will pay about $44,484 in maintenance fees alone. That’s on top of the original purchase price, which averages $23,160 per ARDA. To put that in perspective: You could rent a $200 per night Airbnb for a week every year for 20 years, and still spend less than the typical maintenance bill total. One Reddit user reported their fees with Diamond Resorts jumped to $3,915 in 2024, nearly the cost of a weeklong stay at an upscale all-inclusive resort. And unlike hotels or VRBOs, where you can skip years and pay nothing, timeshare fees are mandatory every year whether you travel or not. Can timeshares raise maintenance fees? Nearly half of resorts (49%) expect to increase maintenance fees by 10% or more in the near future, according to ARDA. It’s not uncommon for these fees to increase a little bit each year. This is for a few reasons: Inflation. Rising costs for labor, materials, and utilities. Natural disasters. ARDA notes that nearly 30 resorts temporarily closed in 2024 due to storms, which drove up insurance costs and, in turn, maintenance bills. Delinquencies. If some owners stop paying, the resort often spreads those costs across everyone else. Upgrades and expansions. New gyms, pools, or renovations aren’t free, and they often show up as higher annual fees or one-time assessments. Do you keep paying maintenance fees after your timeshare is paid off? Yes—maintenance fees don’t disappear once you’ve finished paying for your timeshare. That’s because they aren’t tied to your purchase loan. They’re tied to ownership itself. Whether you bought your timeshare with cash or financed it and paid it off, you’ll still get an annual bill for upkeep as long as your name is on the deed or contract. It’s similar to how a homeowners association collects HOA fees. Even if you own your condo outright, you still owe monthly dues for shared expenses. Timeshare maintenance fees work in a similar way. Are timeshare maintenance fees tax deductible? For most owners, the answer is no. If you use your timeshare purely for personal vacations, maintenance fees are treated like any other travel expense. They don’t qualify for deductions. That said, here is one common exception: Rental use. If you rent out your timeshare, you may be able to deduct part of your maintenance fees as a business expense. If your timeshare is a true rental property that generates income for you, you might be able to deduct maintenance fees, interest, and property taxes. However, if your property taxes are rolled into your maintenance fee (and therefore not itemized), it may be difficult to deduct those. Can you negotiate or lower your timeshare maintenance fees? It’s rare to negotiate maintenance fees directly with your resort. Most are set annually by the homeowners association (HOA) or resort management, and individual owners can’t opt out. On Reddit, one user shared how their maintenance fees jumped from $700 in 2022 to $1,200 in 2024. While you can’t control how much fees will increase, there are a few ways to keep costs from spiraling: Join the owners’ association. Some resorts let owners vote on budgets and proposed fee increases. It won’t slash your bill overnight, but it gives you a voice. Pay on time. Avoiding late fees and interest charges is the easiest way to make sure you’re paying only wha’ts absolutely necessary. Check for autopay or prepay discounts. Some resorts might offer small savings if you pay early or set up automatic payments. Watch for unnecessary add-ons. Some fees might be optional (like club memberships or exchange program dues, for example). Make sure you’re not paying for services you don’t use. What happens if you stop paying timeshare maintenance fees? Stuffing your maintenance bill in a drawer and forgetting about it might feel tempting, but it can have serious consequences. One Reddit user said their credit took a hit from “excellent” to “fair” once the resort sent the bill to collections. Here’s what could happen: Late fees and penalties. Resorts tack on charges quickly, which can turn an average $1,500 bill into an even bigger debt. Collections. If you stop paying your maintenance fees for long enough, your account could get sent to collections where you’ll receive relentless calls and potentially more fees. Credit damage. If the debt goes to collections or foreclosure, it can wreck your credit score for years. Foreclosure risk. Because many timeshares are deeded real estate, failing to pay can eventually lead to foreclosure proceedings. How to get out of timeshare maintenance fees safely and legally If rising fees have you ready to bail, don’t just stop paying. There are legal, safer ways to cut ties: 1. Contact your resort directly Many developers now offer “take-back” or surrender programs. You’ll need to be current on fees, but it can be the cleanest way out. 2. List it on a legitimate resale site Platforms like RedWeek or Timeshare Users Group (TUG) let you resell (or even give away) your timeshare. It may not return much, but getting rid of the contract ends the fees. Here’s our full guide on selling a timeshare. 3. Consult a real estate attorney If your contract is especially complicated, it might be time to call in a timeshare attorney. They can review your case and help you find the most affordable path forward. 4. Consider a reputable exit company If DIY options fail, you could could help from a vetted timeshare exit company. We encourage timeshare owners to look for firms with escrow payment options, transparent pricing, and licensed attorneys. Avoid anyone demanding huge upfront fees without explanation or promising “guaranteed exits.” Our favorite timeshare exit company is Stonegate. It partners with a co-branded law firm and uses federal consumer protection laws to challenge contracts. Stonegate has eliminated millions in timeshare-related debt without pushing owners into foreclosure or strategic default. At the end of the day, you can escape maintenance fees, but it takes a deliberate process. Rushing into the wrong “solution” (or a timeshare scam) often makes the situation worse.