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Re: How can I rent a timeshare? (by Mary D.):

to davida102 - I understand your reluctance but if you think it over, there are several ways you can confirm the information. Have the person fax you their maintenance fee bills showing them as owner, the deed or anything they can to prove they own it. Instead of or preferably in addition, call the resort management office and explain that you are in the process of a private rental and need to confirm that John Doe owns unit X for week Y or whatever.

WIth all due respect to John from NJ (I lived there too for many years and loved it) I have read repeatedly to avoid escrow firms unless you know them. There is a section on craigslist.org titled"avoiding scams & fraud and it says to AVOID escrow services. As an owner I wouldn't see the need for an escrow service for a rental, but probably for a sale.

When I have rented to people in the past, I write up a simple agreement spelling out the terms. I've had my lawyer bless it and it's really very simple and common sense. As the owner, he should treat you as if he is a host and put you in touch with the management company even if you have already made that call. You could download renter's agreements mentioned above and insist that your owner use yours or a comparable one but there must be a contract of some sort. In some states, it's the law that there must be a contract covering any type of real estate transaction or it's null and void.

I hope this helps you. Feel free to put up more specific questions and everyone here is very helpful. Mary

Don't be surprised if when you check in they ask for your credit card to cover damages or long distance calls. That is pretty standard, I think.