Post reply

First time renter (by KC):

It is not at all unreasonable (it's wise and prudent, in fact) for you to ask for some proof of ownership before sending advance payment in full. If you found the rental on RedWeek, the owner could have had that detail covered ahead of time by paying an extra $15 to be "RedWeek verified".

Any and every timeshare owner must pay annual maintenance fee bills. If the resort won't help you with owner confirmation, I suggest directly asking the owner to provide you with either a photocopy of their deed or their most recently paid maintenance fee bill. Even if they choose to redact the dollar amount paid for maintenance fees (a detail which is really not any of your business), you would still have a document, presumably on resort or resort management company letterhead, confirming that the name and address on that maintenance fee bill document is a match to the owner name and address reflected within your rental agreement. Simple enough. A copy of (both sides of) the cancelled check with which the owner paid that last maintenance fee bill might be o.k., but not everyone has their name and full address pre-printed on their checks, so I would definitely ask for a photocopy of either a deed or a paid maintenance fee bill instead as a first choice. Any legitimate owner would have easy access to such documents.

You could also contact the resort again, asking differently this time. As you were told, it is not appropriate (nor lawful) for any resort to release owner information, but it is entirely acceptable for them to simply verify information that you already possess (i.e., the owner name and address). Changing your approach / question could result in the resort being more helpful than they were in your previous attempt.

A P.O. Box should not be a "show stopper" in and of itself; some people simply choose to get their mail that way. Also, it is a common practice for owners to require full rental payment in advance. As a relevant aside, there should also be a very clear and specific cancellation / refund policy stated within the rental agreement, particularly in these COVID-uncertain times. You want to make very sure that you will be guaranteed a 100% refund from the owner if, for example, the resort became closed down by COVID (or for any other reason) during the week you seek to rent. Travel problems or other renter personal issues are not an owner's problem or responsibility, but guaranteed available occupancy most certainly is. Make sure that protection is very clearly stated in writing and in no uncertain terms in your rental agreement.

I hope this input helps you. Good luck.