How to get rid of a timeshare in Florida: the real options

Last updated 2026-07-24

How do you get out of a timeshare in Florida right now?

It depends entirely on timing. If you signed a purchase contract in the last few days, you're almost certainly still inside Florida's statutory rescission window and this is the cheapest, fastest exit you'll ever get. Florida Statute 721.10 gives purchasers of timeshare interests "10 calendar days" to cancel the contract, and the statute is explicit that the developer cannot require you to state a reason ^[1]. If that window has already closed, you're in the same boat as most owners: you own a real contract with real obligations, and there's no button that erases it. Your realistic paths are a developer deed-back or exit program, private resale, or a paid DIY exit service that helps you assemble a deed-back or hardship package yourself. There's also a fourth option a lot of owners don't consider seriously enough: doing nothing and just keep paying, which is fine if the maintenance fee is small and stable, and bad if it's climbing every year with no end in sight. What doesn't exist, no matter what a cold-caller tells you, is a guaranteed legal escape hatch that costs $6,000 and takes 90 days. The FTC has pursued multiple enforcement actions against timeshare exit companies for exactly that kind of promise, including a 2018 case against Resort Relief LLC and related defendants, alleging the companies charged consumers thousands of dollars upfront for exit services and often failed to deliver ^[2]. Keep that in your back pocket every time someone with a great phone voice tells you they can "guarantee" your exit.

How to get out of a timeshare during the rescission period

Confirm your state's rescission window first, because it isn't the same everywhere; in Florida it's 10 calendar days from the later of the date you signed the contract or the date you received the last of the required closing documents, under Fla. Stat. 721.10 ^[1]. To cancel, the statute requires written notice, and the notice is effective on the date it's postmarked (or otherwise properly sent) if you can't hand-deliver it. Send it in a form you can prove: certified mail with return receipt, plus a copy for your own file. Do more than call the sales office and tell them verbally you want out. Follow the exact cancellation procedure printed in your purchase contract or public offering statement, because Florida law requires the contract to spell out the cancellation method the developer will accept ^[1]. Florida also requires the developer to refund your money within 20 days after receiving a timely, valid cancellation notice ^[1]. If that 20-day clock passes and you haven't been refunded, that's worth raising with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation's timeshare division, which oversees these contracts under Chapter 721 ^[3]. A few practical notes: keep a copy of every document you signed at the closing table, note the date and time you received it, and don't spend money on an exit company during this window. If you're still inside the 10 days, you don't need to pay anyone $2,000 to help you write a cancellation letter. For a broader look at how rescission windows work across different states, see how to get out of a timeshare.

What if the rescission window already closed?

Then you own it, and the honest next question is: what's the least expensive, least risky way to stop owning it? The first thing to check is whether your resort or its management company has a deed-back or "exit" program of its own. Several major Florida-based and Florida-heavy timeshare brands, including Marriott Vacation Club, Hilton Grand Vacations, and Bluegreen Vacations, have run some version of a deed-back or surrender program for owners who are current on fees and mortgage payments. These programs cost less than a private exit company, sometimes nothing beyond a processing fee, but they only work if your account is in good standing and your timeshare has no outstanding loan balance. Second, check whether your developer belongs to ARDA, the American Resort Development Association, which maintains a directory of member companies, some of which run their own exit or transfer programs. ARDA doesn't guarantee an exit for you, but it's a legitimate starting point that costs nothing to check before you pay anyone. Third, consider resale, understanding upfront that timeshare resale prices are often near zero. Fourth, consider a documented DIY exit path, which is what our $149 Timeshare Exit Kit is built around: state-specific letter templates, a deed-back request package, and a step-by-step record of what to send and when, without the $3,000 to $8,000 in fees a third-party exit company typically charges. What you should not do is stop paying your maintenance fees or mortgage while you figure this out. Unpaid timeshare fees can lead to a lien on the property, damage to your credit, and in some cases a deficiency judgment, and stopping payment doesn't cancel the contract, it just adds collections and legal costs on top of what you already owe.

How to sell a timeshare in Florida (and what it's really worth)

You can sell a timeshare in Florida the same way you'd sell any other piece of real property: list it, find a buyer, and close through a deed transfer. The catch is demand. Timeshare resale values are notoriously low, and a large share of listings on secondary marketplaces sell for $1 to a few hundred dollars, sometimes with the seller effectively paying the buyer's closing costs just to get someone to take over the fee obligation. Industry survey data from the American Resort Development Association has repeatedly shown that resale prices run a small fraction of what owners originally paid, largely because supply from unhappy owners far outweighs demand from new buyers. If a company calls you out of the blue and says they have a buyer "lined up" for your unit and just need an upfront fee to process the sale, that's one of the most common scam patterns state consumer protection offices warn about ^[4]. If you do want to try a legitimate resale: use a licensed real estate agent who specifically handles timeshare resale in your resort's state, list with a reputable timeshare resale marketplace, and never pay an upfront "guaranteed buyer" fee to a company that contacted you first. Compare that path against a deed-back or surrender option using timeshare cancellation approaches, since for many owners, giving the property back for free beats trying to sell it for months and ending up with a buyer who never appears.

How much do timeshares cost (purchase price, fees, and the real total)?

Developer deed-back/surrender program	$0 to a few hundred dollars in processing fees	A few weeks to a few months
Private resale via agent/marketplace	Listing/commission fees, sale price often near $0	Months to over a year, no guarantee of a buyer
Third-party timeshare exit company	Often $3,000 to $8,000+ upfront	Months, outcome not guaranteed
DIY exit kit / documented self-file approach	Roughly $100 to $200	Weeks to a few months, self-paced
Continue paying annual fees	~$1,000 to $1,100/year average, plus special assessments	Ongoing indefinitely	Those exit-company fee ranges reflect the general pattern documented in FTC enforcement actions against exit firms, not a guarantee of what any specific company charges [2].

The average price of a timeshare interval purchased new from a developer was about $23,940 in ARDA's 2023 state-of-the-industry survey data, a figure widely cited in consumer press coverage of ARDA's research. That number moves year to year and varies a lot by brand, location, and whether it's a fixed week, points-based, or fractional product. But the purchase price is only the entry fee. The bigger long-term cost is the annual maintenance fee, which ARDA's industry survey data has put at an average of roughly $1,000 to $1,100 per year in recent years, and which typically rises faster than general inflation. On top of that, special assessments for storm damage, renovations, or emergency repairs can add hundreds or thousands of dollars in a single year, something Florida owners know especially well given the state's hurricane exposure. Here's a rough side-by-side of what owning actually costs versus what a deed-back or DIY exit costs: | Path | Typical Cost | Timeline |

Are timeshares scams?

The product itself, a legally recorded real estate or right-to-use interest, isn't inherently a scam. Millions of families own timeshares and use them every year without incident. The scam problem lives mostly in two places: aggressive, misleading sales presentations at the point of purchase, and predatory "exit" companies that target owners who already regret buying. On the sales side, state attorneys general and consumer protection agencies have pursued cases over high-pressure tactics, exaggerated resale value claims, and misrepresented rental income potential. Florida's timeshare law specifically requires developers to give buyers a public offering statement and follow disclosure rules under Chapter 721 precisely because these sales practices have been a recurring problem ^[3]. On the exit side, the FTC has pursued multiple enforcement actions alleging that timeshare exit and resale companies charged large upfront fees and delivered little or nothing in return, including the Resort Relief matter noted earlier ^[2]. The pattern to watch for is a cold call or unsolicited email, a promise that sounds too certain ("we guarantee your exit"), and a demand for payment in full before any work begins. So: not a scam by default, but a product category with a real scam problem attached to both ends of the ownership lifecycle. Treat any unsolicited contact, whether it's someone offering to buy your timeshare or someone offering to get you out of it, with real skepticism, and verify independently before sending money. For a broader rundown of common tactics, see timeshare exit companies and cross-check any company against your state attorney general's consumer alert page.

How to spot a timeshare exit scam before you pay anyone

The clearest red flag is being asked to pay a large fee upfront, before the company has done any documented work, in exchange for a promise to get you out of your contract. Consumer protection guidance from state attorneys general, including Florida's Office of the Attorney General, warns residents to be wary of any company that demands payment in full before performing any documented resale or cancellation work ^[5]. Other patterns worth knowing: a caller who already seems to know detailed information about your specific timeshare contract (this is often bought lead-list data, not evidence of legitimacy), pressure to decide "today" or lose a special rate, requests to pay by wire transfer or gift card, and refusal to give you a written contract you can take home and review before signing. Legitimate deed-back programs run by the resort or developer generally don't ask you to pay several thousand dollars upfront. If a company claims to have a "legal team" that will simply make your obligation disappear, ask for their bar-registered attorney's name and check it against the Florida Bar's attorney search, or your own state bar. If they won't give you a name, that tells you what you need to know. Before paying anyone, check the company's name against your state attorney general's consumer complaint database and the Better Business Bureau, and search the company name plus the word "lawsuit" or "complaint." A five-minute search has saved plenty of owners a five-figure loss.

What documents do you need before you start the exit process?

Pull these together before you contact anyone, whether that's the resort, a resale agent, or a DIY kit: your original purchase contract and any amendments, the public offering statement or disclosure documents you received at closing, your deed or right-to-use certificate showing the recorded owner, your most recent maintenance fee statement showing your account is current (or what you owe if it isn't), and any correspondence with the resort about your account status. If you inherited the timeshare, you'll also need the death certificate and any probate or estate documents showing you're the legal successor, since resorts generally won't process a deed-back or transfer until ownership is formally established in your name. This is one of the more common and frustrating snags for inherited timeshares: heirs sometimes don't even know they're the legal owner of record until a maintenance fee bill or collections notice shows up. Having this paperwork organized before you start isn't busywork. It's the difference between a deed-back request that gets processed in a few weeks and one that bounces back three times because a document is missing.

When does a documented DIY exit make more sense than an exit company?

If your account is current, you have a clean deed with no mortgage balance, and your resort or developer has a real deed-back program, a documented self-file approach is almost always the better economic move, since it costs a fraction of what a full-service exit company charges and puts you in control of the paperwork. Our own $149 one-time Timeshare Exit Kit exists for exactly this situation: it gives you the letter templates, deed-back request forms, and a step-by-step checklist so you can pursue a deed-back or documented exit path yourself, instead of paying $3,000 to $8,000 to a company that's doing largely the same paperwork on your behalf. We don't guarantee any specific outcome, we're not a law firm, and we don't contact the resort or developer for you; the kit is a self-help tool, not a substitute for legal advice on a complicated title or loan situation. Where a DIY approach is a worse fit: if you still owe money on a timeshare loan, if there are multiple owners on title who disagree about what to do, or if the resort is disputing your account balance. Those situations often benefit from a consumer attorney who handles timeshare or real estate matters in your state, particularly if a lien or a credit reporting dispute is already in motion.

What about donating or just walking away from a Florida timeshare?

Donation almost never works anymore. Charities largely stopped accepting timeshare donations years ago because most timeshares have negative resale value and ongoing carrying costs, meaning a charity would be taking on a liability, not an asset. If you find an organization that says yes, read the fine print closely; some of these arrangements are exit-scam relabeled as charity. "Walking away" (simply stopping payment and ignoring the resort) isn't a real exit strategy, even though it's tempting when the annual bill keeps climbing. Unpaid maintenance fees typically become a lien against the timeshare interest, and depending on your contract and state law, the resort or its collection agency can pursue you for the balance, report the debt to credit bureaus, and in some cases obtain a judgment. None of that cancels your ownership; it just adds collection costs and credit damage to a debt you still legally owe. If you're weighing this option against alternatives, how do you get out of a timeshare walks through why a formal deed-back or documented exit is safer than simply stopping payment.

How long does it actually take to get rid of a Florida timeshare?

If you're still inside the 10-day rescission window, the cancellation itself takes as long as it takes your written notice to reach the developer, and the law requires your refund within 20 days after they receive a valid cancellation ^[1]. That's the fastest, cleanest exit available, full stop. Outside the rescission window, a developer deed-back or surrender program typically takes a few weeks to a few months, depending on how backed up the resort's transfer department is and whether your paperwork is complete on the first submission. Private resale is the least predictable; it can take months to over a year, and there's no guarantee you'll find a buyer at any price. A documented DIY exit through deed-back paperwork generally moves on a similar timeline to a developer's own program, since you're often submitting through the same internal process, just without paying a middleman to do the mailing for you.

Where to report a Florida timeshare scam or file a complaint

If you've been targeted by an upfront-fee exit scam or a misleading sales pitch, you have a few real places to file a complaint. The Federal Trade Commission takes consumer complaints at reportfraud.ftc.gov and uses them to build enforcement cases like the Resort Relief action referenced earlier ^[2]. The Florida Attorney General's Office handles consumer protection complaints involving Florida-based or Florida-targeting companies ^[5]. If your complaint involves the underlying timeshare contract itself, rather than a resale/exit scam, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation oversees timeshare developers and their disclosure obligations under Chapter 721 ^[3]. Filing a complaint doesn't guarantee you get your money back, and it's not a fast process. But it matters: these agencies build patterns from complaint volume, and that's exactly how cases like the FTC's action against timeshare exit scammers get built in the first place ^[2].

Frequently asked questions

How to get out of a timeshare in Florida if I just bought it?

Confirm you're still inside Florida's rescission window, which Fla. Stat. 721.10 sets at 10 calendar days from signing or from receiving your closing documents, whichever is later. Send written cancellation notice using the method your contract specifies, keep proof of mailing, and the developer must refund you within 20 days of receiving a timely notice.

How to get out of timeshare ownership after the rescission window closes?

Check whether your resort has a deed-back or surrender program for owners current on fees, since major brands including Marriott Vacation Club and Hilton Grand Vacations have run these. If not, consider a documented DIY exit package or private resale. Avoid any company demanding thousands of dollars upfront before doing work.

How do you get out of a timeshare with an outstanding loan balance?

This is harder. Most deed-back and surrender programs require the loan to be paid off first, since the resort generally won't take back property still securing debt. You may need to pay off or refinance the loan before a deed-back is possible, or consult a consumer attorney about your specific contract terms.

How to sell a timeshare in Florida for a fair price?

Use a licensed real estate agent experienced in timeshare resale, or a reputable resale marketplace, and price realistically; most resale timeshares sell for a small fraction of the original purchase price, sometimes near $0. Never pay an upfront fee to a company that contacts you claiming to have a buyer already lined up.

Are timeshares scams, or is the industry legitimate?

The ownership product itself is legal and regulated under laws like Florida's Chapter 721, and many owners use their timeshares without issue. The scam risk concentrates in high-pressure sales tactics and in upfront-fee exit companies; the FTC has pursued multiple exit firms for allegedly taking large fees and delivering little.

How much is a timeshare, on average, in Florida or nationally?

Industry survey data from ARDA put the average developer purchase price around $23,940 in 2023, though prices vary widely by resort and product type. Resale prices run far lower, often just a few hundred dollars or less, because resale demand is much smaller than the supply of owners trying to exit.

How much do timeshares cost per year in maintenance fees?

ARDA industry survey data has put average annual maintenance fees at roughly $1,000 to $1,100 in recent years, and fees generally rise faster than general inflation. Special assessments for storm repairs or renovations can add hundreds or thousands more in a single year, which is common in hurricane-prone Florida resorts.

How to get rid of a timeshare I inherited in Florida?

First establish legal ownership through probate or estate documents and a death certificate, since resorts won't process a deed-back until you're the confirmed owner of record. Then pursue the same options as any owner: check for a developer deed-back program, consider resale, or use a documented DIY exit approach once title is clear.

Can I just stop paying my Florida timeshare maintenance fees?

Stopping payment doesn't cancel your contract; it typically leads to a lien against the property, collection activity, credit damage, and possibly a judgment for the balance owed. If fees are unaffordable, pursue a deed-back, resale, or documented exit instead of simply not paying, since the debt remains legally yours either way.

How do I know if a timeshare exit company is a scam?

Watch for upfront fees before any work is done, guarantees of a specific outcome, high-pressure sales tactics, and requests for wire transfer or gift card payment. Consumer protection agencies warn that legitimate resale and exit help rarely requires large payment in advance. Check the company against your state attorney general's complaint database first.

What's the difference between rescission and a deed-back program?

Rescission is a short legal window, 10 calendar days in Florida under Fla. Stat. 721.10, letting a new buyer cancel a fresh purchase for any reason. A deed-back program is a separate, later option where an existing owner asks the resort to take the property back, usually available only if fees are current and there's no loan balance.

Does Florida require a specific process to cancel a timeshare purchase?

Yes. Fla. Stat. 721.10 requires written cancellation notice, treats notice as effective when properly sent (such as postmarked), and requires the developer to refund the purchaser's money within 20 days of receiving a timely cancellation. Follow the cancellation method specified in your contract and keep proof of mailing.

Sources

1. Florida Legislature, Florida Statutes Section 721.10 (Cancellation): Florida gives timeshare purchasers a 10 calendar day cancellation right, requires no stated reason, and requires refund within 20 days of a timely cancellation notice
2. Federal Trade Commission v. Resort Relief LLC et al., Case No. 8:18-cv-1136 (M.D. Fla.), FTC case page: FTC enforcement action against a timeshare exit company for allegedly charging large upfront fees and failing to deliver promised exits
3. Florida Statutes Chapter 721 (Vacation and Timesharing Plans): Florida regulates timeshare developer disclosure obligations, including public offering statements, under Chapter 721
4. Federal Trade Commission, "Timeshares and Vacation Plans" consumer alert archive (Wayback Machine capture): FTC guidance warning consumers about upfront fees and false promises from timeshare resale and exit companies
5. American Resort Development Association, State of the Vacation Timeshare Industry: United States Study, 2023 edition summary via ARDA International Foundation: Average developer purchase price and average annual maintenance fee figures for U.S. timeshare owners
6. Florida Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division complaint filing page: Florida residents can file consumer protection complaints regarding timeshare sales or exit scams with the state Attorney General
7. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, "What is a timeshare and what should I know before purchasing one?": Federal consumer finance guidance describing timeshare ownership structures and financial risks for buyers