Last updated 2026-07-24
TL;DR
The best way to get rid of a timeshare depends on timing: cancel free during your state's rescission window, ask your resort about a deed-back program if you're current on fees, try resale for deeded weeks with real value, or use a legitimate exit company as a last resort. Never pay large upfront fees to a company that promises a no-questions-asked exit.
What's the actual best way to get rid of a timeshare?
There's no single best way. There's a best way for your situation, and it depends almost entirely on timing and what kind of ownership you have. If you just signed paperwork in the last few days, your best move is rescission. Every state gives timeshare buyers a window to cancel for any reason, no penalty, full refund. This is the cheapest and fastest exit there is, and it costs nothing but a certified letter and some nerve [1]. If you're past that window but current on your fees, ask the resort about a deed-back or surrender program. Many major developers now run these voluntarily, and some states are starting to require an exit path. It's slower than rescission but usually free or low-cost. If your timeshare is deeded (real property, not a right-to-use contract) and in a desirable location, resale is worth trying, though you should expect close to zero dollars for it. Right-to-use and points-based timeshares at oversaturated resorts are nearly impossible to resell at any price. If none of that works and you're stuck with an unwanted contract and rising fees, a legitimate paid exit service or an attorney who handles timeshare contract review is the last stop, not the first. That's the order. Most people skip straight to "pay someone to make it go away," and that's exactly where the scams live.
How do you get out of a timeshare during the rescission period?
You cancel in writing, following your contract's instructions exactly, before the deadline in your state's statute. This is the single cleanest exit that exists in the entire timeshare industry. Every state that allows timeshare sales has a rescission (cooling-off) law. Florida gives buyers 10 calendar days from signing or from receipt of the public offering statement, whichever is later, to cancel a timeshare purchase, and the law requires the seller to refund payments within 20 days of receiving a valid cancellation notice [2]. California's window is 7 calendar days [3]. Other states set their own periods, some shorter, a few longer. Confirm your state's rescission window before you assume you're covered by a national deadline. There isn't one. To cancel, send a written notice by certified mail with return receipt, referencing your contract number, the date you signed, and a clear statement that you're canceling under your state's rescission law. Keep copies of everything. Do not rely on a phone call or an email alone unless your contract explicitly allows it. Some states also require you to send the notice to a specific address named in the contract itself, more than to the resort's general office. The FTC's guidance for timeshare owners warns that many resale and exit companies charge substantial upfront fees for services they never deliver, and rescission is the one path where you don't need any of them [4]. If you're inside your window right now, this is worth doing yourself tonight, not next week. For the full state-by-state mechanics, see how to get out of a timeshare.
How to get out of a timeshare after the rescission period ends?
Once rescission has closed, you're a contract holder like any other owner, and your options narrow to four real paths: deed-back, resale, transfer, or paid exit help. Deed-back (also called surrender or deedback) means the resort takes the deed or contract back voluntarily, usually if you're current on maintenance fees and the property doesn't have a big loan balance left on it. Many large chains including Marriott Vacation Club, Hilton Grand Vacations, and Wyndham have run internal deed-back or "exit" programs at various points, though terms, eligibility, and availability change and aren't guaranteed year to year. Call your specific resort's owner services line and ask directly whether they have a current deed-back program and what it costs. Resale means listing your deeded week or points on a timeshare resale marketplace or through a licensed timeshare resale broker. Many states require these brokers to hold a real estate or timeshare resale license. Expect a resale price far below what you paid, often near zero for many brands, since the resale market is flooded and buyers know it. Transfer means giving the timeshare to someone else: a family member, a charity that actually accepts timeshares (rare, since they inherit the fees), or a company that specializes in deed transfers. Be careful here. Transferring to a shell LLC or an unnamed "buyer" who never pays fees can leave the original owner on the hook if the transfer wasn't properly recorded. Paid exit help is for people who've tried the above and are still stuck, usually because of a big loan balance, a right-to-use contract with no deed to give back, or a resort that refuses to accept surrender. More on evaluating those companies below.
How to sell a timeshare (and what it's actually worth)?
You sell it through a licensed resale broker or a reputable timeshare resale marketplace, and you go in expecting a low price, possibly one dollar, because timeshare resale values collapse almost immediately after purchase. A 2023 survey commissioned by the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) found the average timeshare purchase price was about $23,940 and average annual maintenance fees were about $1,205 [5]. Resale prices for the same intervals routinely run in the hundreds of dollars, not thousands, on the secondary market. Supply vastly exceeds demand: there are far more owners trying to exit than buyers trying to enter. List only through brokers who don't charge large upfront fees before a sale closes. Legitimate real estate and timeshare resale agents don't guarantee a sale and get paid a commission when the property sells, not before. If a company asks for $2,000 or $3,000 upfront to line up a buyer, that's a red flag, not a service. Don't confuse selling with dumping. If your timeshare has no real resale value, and most points-based and right-to-use products don't, spending money trying to sell it is often wasted money. In that case deed-back or a legitimate exit path is the more realistic route than a resale listing that sits for years.
Are timeshares scams?
The original purchase generally isn't a legal scam. It's a real contract for a real (if overpriced and hard-to-resell) product. But the industry around it is full of scams, especially on the exit side. The timeshare purchase itself is regulated. States require developers to give buyers a public offering statement, a rescission period, and disclosure of fees [6]. The product is legal; the pressure-sale tactics used at many presentations (the "today only" discount, the surprise 90-minute-turned-4-hour meeting, the implication that the timeshare is an investment that appreciates) are legal but manipulative, and they explain most of the buyer's remorse that drives people to search "how to get out of a timeshare" in the first place. Where real scams concentrate is the exit and resale side. The Securities and Exchange Commission's investor alert on timeshare resale scams describes con artists who "pose as licensed brokers or agents and claim to have a buyer ready to purchase your timeshare interest," then demand upfront fees before any sale happens [7]. Common scam patterns include unsolicited calls claiming a buyer is "already lined up," demands for wire transfers or gift cards, and guarantees that no legitimate company can honestly make, since no company controls whether a resort accepts a cancellation or deed-back. So: not a scam to buy one, often a bad deal, and yes, a scam-heavy industry once you try to leave. Treat every unsolicited exit offer with the same skepticism you'd give an unsolicited call about your car's warranty.
How much is a timeshare, and how much do timeshares cost long-term?
| Purchase price (new, developer) | $20,000-$28,000 | ARDA 2023 average ~$23,940 [5] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase price (resale) | $0-$3,000 | Same week, secondary market | |
| Annual maintenance fee | ~$1,000-$1,400 | ARDA 2023 average ~$1,205 [5] | |
| Special assessment (major repair/storm) | $500-$10,000+ | Varies wildly by resort and event | |
| Typical resale value after 10+ years | Near $0-$1,000 | Oversupply of sellers vs buyers | If you're evaluating whether to keep paying or exit, run your own numbers against this table before deciding. For a fuller breakdown of ongoing costs and how to push back on assessments, see the maintenance fees resources on this site. |
The purchase price is only the entry fee. The real cost is decades of maintenance fees that rise faster than inflation, plus special assessments you can't predict. ARDA's 2023 owner survey put the average purchase price at roughly $23,940 and average annual maintenance fees at roughly $1,205 [5]. Maintenance fees are billed annually or monthly regardless of whether you use your week, and most contracts allow the resort's HOA-style board to raise fees each year and to levy special assessments for roof repairs, storm damage, or renovations, often with no cap in the contract. Over a 20-year ownership period, $1,205 a year in fees alone (before any increases) is about $24,100, roughly matching or exceeding the original purchase price. Add even modest 4-5% annual fee growth, which is common industry experience though not universal, and the lifetime cost climbs well past $30,000 to $40,000 for many owners. Hurricane-prone coastal properties have seen five-figure special assessments after storms in the past decade. Check your specific resort's assessment history before assuming yours won't happen. Here's the honest comparison people ask for: | Cost element | Typical range | Notes |
How do you get out of a timeshare if you inherited it and never wanted it?
You're not automatically stuck with it, but you do have to actively decline or exit it, because inherited timeshares don't disappear on their own. If the original owner has passed and you're an heir, you generally have the option to disclaim the inheritance (formally refuse it) through the probate process. In most states this must happen within a specific timeframe and before you've accepted any benefit from the property. Once you've accepted the deed, paid a fee, or used the week, disclaiming becomes much harder or impossible, so speed matters here too. If the estate has already transferred the deed to you, you're in the same position as any other owner: try deed-back with the resort first, since resorts sometimes have specific inherited-property surrender processes, then resale, then paid exit help if needed. Don't assume a will's silence means you're automatically bound. Talk to the probate attorney handling the estate before you pay a single maintenance fee bill, because paying it can be treated as acceptance of the property in some states.
What's the difference between a deed-back program and paying an exit company?
A deed-back program returns the property directly to the resort or developer, usually at no cost to you if you're current on fees. A paid exit company is a third party you hire to negotiate, litigate, or process a cancellation on your behalf, and it charges a fee for that work. Deed-back is the cheaper and more direct option when it's available. The catch is availability: not every resort offers it, and most require you to be current on maintenance fees and have no outstanding loan balance. Some brands publish these programs publicly, others just handle it case by case over the phone, but terms shift, so call and ask rather than assuming a program still exists exactly as advertised somewhere online. Paid exit companies exist for the harder cases: right-to-use contracts, resorts that flatly refuse any deed-back, or owners with loans still attached to the property. Legitimate ones charge a flat fee for document review, negotiation, and paperwork, and they should tell you upfront that no company can promise a resort will agree to cancel. If a company promises a 100% assured outcome, that's a claim no honest company in this business can make, since the resort, not the exit company, ultimately decides whether to release you. Compare your specific options at timeshare exit companies before paying anyone. And read your contract's cancellation clause at timeshare cancellation first, since it may already spell out a surrender path you didn't know existed.
How can you tell a timeshare exit scam from a legitimate exit company?
Legitimate companies charge after work is done or in stages tied to milestones, never one giant sum upfront, and they never promise a specific outcome. Scam operations do both of those things, every time. Watch for these patterns: unsolicited phone calls or emails claiming to represent your resort or a "timeshare relief" program you never contacted; demands for payment by wire transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency (methods that are nearly impossible to reverse); pressure to sign new documents quickly, especially anything that grants power of attorney; and claims that a buyer is already waiting for your specific unit, which the SEC's investor alert flags as a classic resale scam script [7]. Check any company against your state attorney general's consumer complaint database and the Better Business Bureau before signing, and never pay large fees in cash or by wire. One honest note on cost: legitimate help isn't free, but it shouldn't be a mystery either. A flat, disclosed, one-time fee for document review and a clear action plan (something like the $149 Timeshare Exit Kit builder on this site, which is a self-help document and letter-drafting tool, not a company that contacts the resort for you or promises any particular outcome) is a very different animal from a $5,000 upfront "exit fee" with no itemized service list. If you're not sure what you're looking at, that uncertainty is itself the warning sign.
Should you just stop paying maintenance fees to force an exit?
No. Don't do this. Stopping payment doesn't cancel your contract, it just adds late fees, interest, and eventually collections or foreclosure to a debt you still legally owe. Timeshare associations can and do pursue delinquent owners through collections agencies, and deeded timeshares can go through foreclosure just like a house, which can damage your credit for years. A right-to-use contract can lead to a breach-of-contract lawsuit for the remaining amounts owed. Either way, walking away without a formal deed-back, resale closing, or court-ordered release means the debt and the legal ownership stay attached to your name. If you genuinely cannot afford the fees, contact the resort directly and ask about hardship programs, payment plans, or a formal deed-back before you miss a payment, not after. Some resorts will negotiate a surrender specifically to avoid the cost of chasing a delinquent account through collections. That conversation is far more useful to you than silence.
How long does it actually take to get rid of a timeshare?
Rescission: days. Deed-back: weeks to a few months. Resale: months to years, if it sells at all. Paid exit services: often 6 to 18 months depending on the resort's cooperation and whether litigation is involved. Rescission is fast because it's a legal right with a hard deadline on both sides. You cancel, the seller has a set window (20 days in Florida, for example [2]) to refund you. Deed-back timing depends entirely on the resort's internal process and current backlog. Resale timing depends on demand for your specific resort and season, and for many products there may be no real timeline because there's no real buyer. Paid exit companies vary the most, and "how long will this take" is one of the most reasonable questions you can ask before hiring one. If a company can't give you a realistic range based on your specific resort and contract type, that's worth a second opinion.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get out of a timeshare?
Start with rescission if you're still inside your state's cancellation window; it's free and fast. After that, ask your resort about a deed-back program, try resale through a licensed broker if your week has value, or use a legitimate paid exit service as a last resort. Never stop paying fees you owe to force an exit.
How to get out of timeshare after the rescission period has already passed?
Contact the resort directly and ask about deed-back or surrender programs, which many major brands offer if you're current on fees and have no loan balance. If deed-back isn't available, try resale through a licensed timeshare resale broker, then consider a legitimate exit company for stubborn contracts.
How much is a timeshare, on average?
ARDA's 2023 owner survey put the average purchase price at about $23,940, with average annual maintenance fees around $1,205 on top of that. Resale prices for the same product often run in the hundreds of dollars, since supply of sellers far exceeds buyer demand.
How much do timeshares cost per year in maintenance fees?
The 2023 ARDA owner survey found average annual maintenance fees of about $1,205, and these typically rise most years plus occasional special assessments for repairs or storm damage that can add hundreds or thousands more in a single year.
Are timeshares scams?
The purchase itself is a regulated, legal contract, not a scam, though the sales tactics are often aggressive and the resale value collapses fast. The bigger scam risk is on the exit side, where the SEC and state regulators warn that resale con artists take upfront fees for buyers who don't exist.
How to sell a timeshare fast?
Use a licensed timeshare resale broker or a reputable resale marketplace, price it realistically (often near zero for points-based products), and avoid any company demanding a large upfront fee to line up a buyer. Fast and profitable rarely go together in timeshare resale.
How to sell timeshare without losing money?
Honestly, most owners can't fully recoup their purchase price on resale; the realistic goal is minimizing loss, not avoiding it. List through a no-upfront-fee broker, price near current secondary-market comps, and compare that cost against simply pursuing a deed-back program instead.
What's the difference between deed-back and rescission?
Rescission is a legal right to cancel within days of signing, with a full refund, no resort cooperation needed beyond following the statute. Deed-back happens later, after rescission closes, and requires the resort to voluntarily accept the property back, usually only if you're current on fees.
Can you just walk away from a timeshare?
You can stop paying, but the debt and legal ownership don't disappear. Deeded timeshares can go through foreclosure, right-to-use contracts can trigger a breach-of-contract lawsuit, and either path can hurt your credit for years. Pursue a formal deed-back, sale, or exit process instead.
How much does a timeshare exit company cost?
Costs vary widely, from flat document-review and self-help packages in the low hundreds of dollars up to several thousand for full-service negotiation or litigation support. Be wary of any company asking for a large sum entirely upfront with no itemized services or promised result.
What happens if you inherit a timeshare you don't want?
You may be able to disclaim the inheritance through probate before accepting the deed or paying any fees; once accepted, you're an owner like anyone else. Talk to the estate's probate attorney immediately, and don't pay a maintenance fee bill until you know your legal options.
Is it worth paying a company to get out of a timeshare?
Sometimes, especially for right-to-use contracts or resorts that refuse deed-back, but only after you've tried free options first. Compare a flat, disclosed fee for document review against the multi-thousand-dollar demands common in scam operations, and check any company with your state attorney general first.
Sources
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, What is a timeshare cancellation or rescission period?: every state gives timeshare buyers a rescission (cooling-off) period to cancel
- Florida Statutes Section 721.10, Cancellation: Florida gives buyers 10 calendar days to cancel and requires refund within 20 days of a valid cancellation notice
- California Business and Professions Code Section 11238: California's timeshare rescission period is 7 calendar days
- Federal Trade Commission, Timeshares and Vacation Plans (consumer.ftc.gov): the FTC warns consumers that many timeshare resale and exit companies charge large upfront fees and to check companies out before paying
- American Resort Development Association (ARDA), 2023 State of the Vacation Timeshare Industry (as reported by ARDA International Foundation): average timeshare purchase price of about $23,940 and average annual maintenance fees of about $1,205
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Investor Alert: Timeshare Resale Scams: resale scam operators falsely claim a buyer is already lined up and demand upfront payment before any sale occurs
- Florida Statutes Section 721.06, Public offering statement: states require developers to give buyers a public offering statement disclosing fees before the rescission period runs